


Blackout

by jlvsclrk



Category: Smallville
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Memory Alteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-13
Updated: 2009-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-31 03:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jlvsclrk/pseuds/jlvsclrk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year has passed since Clark disappeared after confronting the two Disciples from Arrival. Mayhem has spread from Smallville through and beyond Metropolis, resulting in a heavy death toll and the declaration of martial law. Where’s our hero when you need him?</p><p>Created for the 2009 Smallville Big Bang.</p><p>An AU take on Season 5, with some ideas from Season 7. As the story fills in details about the missing year, we learn about two character deaths and some TC. For more details with some story spoilers, see the Author’s Note.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**[](http://pics.livejournal.com/jlvsclrk/pic/00031sx3/)Title** : Blackout

 **Author:** jlvsclrk

 **Beta:**[](http://ladydreamer.livejournal.com/profile)[ **ladydreamer**](http://ladydreamer.livejournal.com/), with many thanks!

 **Artwork** : [](http://tallihensia.livejournal.com/profile)[ **tallihensia**](http://tallihensia.livejournal.com/)

 **Word Count:** 29K

 **Rating** : PG- 13

 **Genre** : Action/adventure

 **Pairing:** Clark/Lex eventually

 **Summary:** A year has passed since Clark disappeared after confronting the two Disciples from Arrival. Mayhem has spread from Smallville through and beyond Metropolis, resulting in a heavy death toll and the declaration of martial law. Where’s our hero when you need him?

**Somewhere near Gotham – April 2006**

From high above, the fields looked deserted by human and animal alike. Five miles east lay the ocean and the small town of Spring Cove, while the closest outskirts of Gotham lay about thirty miles south-west. But here, the one-time farmland lay abandoned, overgrown with weeds and brambles. Left undisturbed long enough, the forests would return, along with the wildlife endemic to the area. For now though, the land was largely silent.

On closer look though, a tall, dark-haired man could be seen, slowly working his way north-east. His otherwise handsome face showed signs of pain and exhaustion, and he walked with a slight limp. His somewhat shabby clothes were covered in grime from his journey. On reaching a bridge crossing a small stream, he stopped to take off a shoe, shaking out the small pebbles trapped within. He then closed his eyes and leaned against the railing for some precious rest.

After a few minutes, he revived somewhat and licked his lips. He worked his way down to the stream’s edge and cupped some water in his hands. He sipped cautiously and then with greedy abandon, then dunked his head in the water. He splashed at the water and laughed briefly, then looked around as if embarrassed. More soberly, he continued with his bathing.

From the distance, an odd drumming sound could be heard. At first the man looked up to check the sky, then looked east as a horse and rider galloped into view. They moved together seamlessly, and he heard a faint laugh from the rider as they jumped over an old wooden fence. The horse gleamed red in the spring sunshine, as did the rider’s hair streaming out from the back of her helmet. They made an arresting sight.

The tandem thundered towards the man and he saw the determination on the rider’s face as she prepared to jump the stream not forty feet away.

_Fwwwwttt!_

A strange sound made the man turn his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the horse suddenly swerve to the side. The rider, committed to the jump, was caught unprepared and continued to move forward. She landed on her head on the near bank and her momentum carried her into the middle of the stream with a spectacular splash. The horse slowed to a trot and gave a few kicks, then gradually settled.

The man rushed towards the rider, who floated face down in the water. The stream was quite narrow but the water moved fast and deep, making it surprisingly difficult to reach her. Finally the man managed to grab her leg and pulled her towards him. He rolled her over to her back, then slowly moved them to the shore.

_Everything hurt._

That was Lori’s first thought on waking. She was lying on the ground, soaked to the skin and aching all over. Beyond her closed eyes, she was aware that the sun was shining brightly, and suppressed a moan. She just wanted it to stop, for it to be dark. And quiet. Why wouldn’t that man let her rest?

“Miss, miss, you need to wake up. Please, I need you to wake up!”

Lori reluctantly opened her eyes a wedge, then widened them in surprise. Peering down at her with concern were the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen, in a face that put most models to shame. It was hard to tell the man’s age, so flawless was the skin. His hair was raven black and slicked down by water. He wore a thin blue T-shirt and jeans, also soaking wet. He shivered in the breeze and smiled at her anxiously. “Are you Okay?”

“I think so. What happened?” She made a move to sit up but relaxed when he held her still.

“Take it easy for a bit. You had a bit of an adventure.”

Lori looked around in confusion. The field they were in was familiar; she often went riding in it with permission of the owner, an old friend of her grandfather. It had a lovely combination of natural obstacles, great for cross-country training purposes. She couldn’t remember riding over here today though, and sighed as she realized what must have happened. A fall and a concussion would explain the aches as well.

The man gave her a fleeting smile, then continued. “I was standing by the bridge when I first saw you. You were riding towards me on that chestnut over there and I was pretty impressed – you looked great together. But just when you rode up to the stream, there was this weird sound. He shied and went one way. You went the other, straight into the water. When you didn’t come up, I figured you’d hit your head so I dove in and dragged you out.”

Lori looked across the field to see Red Storm calming grazing, oblivious to the havoc he’d wrought. “It’s not like Stormy to shy. He’s been around the tracks; usually, nothing fazes him.”

The man made no answer, but relaxed at her side with a slight sigh. She noticed for the first time how lean he was, emaciated even, and the numerous cuts and bruises on his arms. She was suddenly aware of how little she knew about this stranger: he could be anyone.

She cautiously smiled and introduced herself, “I’m Lorelei Lee. Lori for short. I live a few miles east of here, in Spring Cove. I have to say I’m not looking forward to the ride home. Is your car nearby?”

The man hesitated and replied, “I don’t have one. I walked here from Gotham ‘cause I wanted to see the ocean. I don’t think I ever have.”

Lori gave him a quizzical look but decided not to push. “Ocean we’ve got! That and lots of empty fields. Great land for horses. I’m always amazed at how different this place is from Gotham, despite being so close.”

The man looked around and nodded his head. “It’s so green here, so quiet. Gotham was so dark and noisy; I couldn’t get away fast enough.”

Lori laughed, “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that complaint. It’s a crazy place but I kind of love it – the nightlife is like no other place on earth. And it’s got some great museums too. There’s always a lot to do and see!”

The man looked at her dubiously. “I can’t say I share your enthusiasm. I’m a bit hazy on the details, but I was attacked right in the middle of a street, and the cops just drove on by – twice! If some guy hadn’t stepped out of the shadows to help, I’d probably be dead. Or…” The man flushed and his voice trailed off.

Lori frowned in sympathy. “God, I’m so sorry. Gotham is a scary place if you wind up in the wrong part of town.” She paused and looked again at the man’s too lean body. “Look, if you’ve been walking for a while, you must be hungry. Let’s round up Stormy and head to my home. We can talk more on the way.”

The man gave her a small smile and stood up, then reached down to offer her a hand. “Okay, but let’s take it slow. Neither of us is in great shape right now.”

Lori winced as she stood, but at least nothing felt broken. “That’s the thing about riding: you learn how to fall or you give up the sport. I just wish I hadn’t landed in the water – I hate wet clothes!” Lori knew she must look a sight, very conscious of her hair poking out of her helmet in an unruly mess, and the mud coating her normally immaculate riding outfit.

What Lori couldn’t know was how vibrant she looked even when disheveled. Her normally pale skin was flushed with exertion, and her hair glowed red in the sunlight. She wasn’t a tall woman, maybe 5’ 6”, but something about her body language made her seem taller. She’d just turned 26 and had the poise of a woman of the world. She periodically bemoaned her figure thinking it unfashionably curvaceous, but many men would call it voluptuous instead. She tended to distrust those men.

She noticed the man looking at her and gave a somewhat nervous laugh. “How silly of me. Here you’ve saved my life and I don’t even know your name!”

The man hesitated, then held out his hand. “Kyle Cook. I’m just glad I could help.”

Lori shook his hand and looked up into his eyes. “Pleased to meet you, Kyle. Who would have ever thought I’d be so grateful for falling off a horse!” His handshake was somewhat tentative, as if he was afraid of squeezing too hard. They smiled at each other awkwardly, then looked away.

She took a wobbly step towards Red Storm, hoping he would cooperate – she needed his help if they were going to get home any time soon. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her secret weapon, a somewhat battered carrot. She gave a low whistle and watched Stormy’s head come up. Kyle backed away from her, perhaps realizing the horse might be nervous about a stranger’s presence. She took a few more steps and Stormy gave a snort, then approached and daintily took the carrot from her hand. She gave his neck a solid pat as he chomped down on the treat, then checked his legs for damage. He seemed unaffected by the afternoon adventure, so she gathered the reins and mounted.

She asked Kyle, “Do you ride? He’s strong enough to carry us both.”

Kyle was silent, but mounted behind her without any apparent difficulty. She gave Stormy a small squeeze with her legs, and they headed home at a ground-eating walk. She searched her mind for small talk, very aware of Kyle’s big body pressed into her back. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so small!

Fortunately, Kyle broke the silence. “Did you see this?”

She twisted around to see what he was pointing at and frowned. On Red Storm’s flank, a small cut was bleeding slightly. “It looks like something hit him, a rock maybe. Is that why he shied?”

Kyle had a worried look and was carefully scanning around the field. “That sound I heard. What if somebody…”

Lori felt a cold pit in her stomach. “God, I came here to get away from all that.” She shivered and once again wondered why she’d been so quick to trust the man behind her. He could so easily be one of the stalkers who had so plagued her last months in Coast City. He could so easily have set up her accident to give him the chance to get close to her.

She shouldn’t trust him.

But she did.

###  Belle Reve Sanitarium near Metropolis – same day

 “I demand to see Chloe Sullivan, now! I’m her next of kin and I need to know she’s okay!”

Lois’s voice was somewhat shrill with desperation and exasperation. She’d been trying for over two weeks to see her cousin but had been stonewalled at every turn. She’d finally talked her way into Dr. Fine’s office, but he’d been unmoved by her earlier reasoned appeals. And the angrier she got, the more remote he became in response.

“Chloe Sullivan was admitted after two suicide attempts, both of which were nearly successful. She has the symptoms of a deep-rooted psychosis and has proven utterly resistant to treatment and medication. Until she can maintain some form of control, we cannot allow any visitations.”

Lois gritted her teeth and restrained the urge to yell. “Look, sir. I’m sure that what looks like psychosis to you is just a reflection of all the strange stuff that happened while she was growing up in Smallville. You’ve heard of the place, right? Martial law declared four months ago? Curfew from dusk to dawn? The highest death toll in the civilized world?”

Dr. Fine stared at her unblinkingly. “It is precisely because Ms. Sullivan is from Smallville that we are so concerned. Our tests have revealed a mutation, perhaps latent, perhaps not. Regardless, she represents a threat to herself and possibly others. The only reason I agreed to see you today was to get some family history and any further information that you think could help us. If you like, you may also record a message for your cousin, which may help calm her. But no one is allowed to see her face to face.”

“ _We’ll just see about that_ ,” thought Lois grimly.

It took a few hours, but Lex finally agreed to see her. She supposed she should be grateful; she could imagine how busy he must be with everything that had happened in the last few days and all of LuthorCorp to run. Unfortunately, access to Lex was something she’d come to take for granted during those months living with the Kents. She shied away from those memories, still heart sore.

Lex greeted her with a trademark smirk and a hint of sarcasm, “Lois Lane, so good to see you. Now let’s skip the rest of the small talk and get straight to what you want.”

Lois tried to restrain her hackles and replied evenly, “Thanks Lex, I’ll take up as little of your time as possible. It’s about Chloe. It’s been weeks now, and I’ve tried talking to everyone I can think of, and I still can’t get in to see her. I’m scared. Who knows what they’re doing to her in there?”

Lex’s mouth tightened. “I’m sorry, Lois. With everything that’s happened in the last few months, I guess I lost track of Chloe. Fill me in.”

Lois wanted to be angry with him for that admission, but knew that would be unfair. Chloe and Lex had worked together at one point to get Lionel convicted for murder, but they’d drifted apart since then – especially after Clark had disappeared. Lex knew about Chloe’s ‘breakdown’; in fact, he’d even helped Lana get Chloe what they thought would be the best care while Lois was out of town on one of her periodic Lucy hunts. Unfortunately, the ‘best care’ path had quickly led to Belle Reve – so quickly that Lois hadn’t even found out about her cousin’s illness until she returned to Smallville some time later.

As she filled him in, Lois saw how deeply he regretted what had happened. He admitted, “I’m so sorry, Lois. I thought Lana would be keeping an eye out, and then she went into detox after getting hooked on that drug and I just didn’t remember to follow up. But Belle Reve… Unfortunately, it’s the last place on earth where I have any influence. Too many people remember when I was a patient there myself.”

Lois stared back at him, stunned by his casual statement. While working on Jonathan Kent’s election campaign, she’d done a fair bit of background research on the man who’d funded the opposition candidates. She’d soon discovered a disturbing fact: all records of Lionel’s trial and arrest had been carefully doctored in a manner that bespoke impressive power. Even the transcripts, when Clark had testified about seeing Lex’s electroshock treatment, had been altered. Further research had failed to turn up a single record on Lex’s stay at Belle Reve. She’d thrown her discovery in Lex’s face the last time they met, and he had gotten very quiet, almost frightening her. She wondered what it meant that Lex would openly talk about the incident.

“Lex, there has to be something, even if it’s just to transfer her to another sanitarium. Hell, I’d settle for Arkham at this stage!”

Lex grimaced in reply, “I wouldn’t go that far.” His face went still as he paused for thought, causing the marks of strain around his eyes and lips stand out.

At one point, Belle Reve and Arkham had both been considered progressive institutions with excellent reputations. Over the last few years though, the rising crime rates in Metropolis and Gotham had overloaded the system and warped the psychiatric hospitals into high security holding cells. They were now part of the problem, far from the solution.

 “Look,” Lex continued, “I don’t have any contacts to help you – my experiences with psychiatrists have all been bad. But I have a friend – or more like an enemy of my enemy – who might be able to help. He’s not a professional, but he’s studied the topic extensively and he probably knows a few people who can open some doors.”

Lois sighed. “I guess I’ve been hoping you had some magic all access pass. I thought you could just call them up and the doors would open straight away! I’m not sure how me talking to yet another stranger is going to get Chloe freed anytime soon.”

“Ah, but I haven’t told you this stranger’s name yet!” Lex smiled somewhat mischievously and pulled out an embossed business card from his desk.

Lois read it almost in shock – ‘Bruce Wayne’ and a phone number was all it said, no job title or address. But if ever a man needed no introduction, it was the prodigal billionaire, only just returned to Gotham after an absence of years. She looked up at Lex, “Why would he talk to me?”

“Let’s just say he owes me a favour or two. And I think he’ll welcome the chance to help Chloe once you show him some of the articles she’s written. She was one of the few people who dared to speak the truth about what was happening in Smallville before everything went wrong.”

They both sat silently for a few moments, thinking of all the things that had gone wrong since a beautiful spring day meant to mark the commencement of Smallville High’s class of 2005. That day alone had brought a second meteor shower, rumours of an alien spacecraft, scenes of carnage, and the disappearance of one Clark Kent. Ever since, it seemed like a new meteor freak would crop up every week, to be met with ever increasing force and mounting collateral damage. Smallville was quickly becoming a ghost town, and the problem was spreading like a virus across America.

In Metropolis, the problem had been compounded by the epic power struggle between Lex and Lionel for the control of LuthorCorp. Lois looked at the exhaustion on Lex’s face and felt a rare pang of sympathy. It had been a year full of violence and trauma for all of them. Martha Kent had lost the most, but just because Lionel was virtually the devil incarnate, that didn’t mean his son didn’t still miss him. She spoke softly, “Lex, I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the funeral. I didn’t want to pay Lionel that kind of respect, but I forgot that you could have used a friend. Or even just an enemy of your enemy.”

Lex let his normal mask drop for a minute and admitted, “It did feel like everyone who showed up just wanted to make sure the monster really was dead. He still had his supporters, but they didn’t want to come anywhere near me. They all blame me for his untimely departure.”

An awkward silence fell, since that blame was not wholly misplaced. Because he seemed to be the budding metahuman population’s target of choice, Lex had recently hired a cybernetic bodyguard named Victor Stone. Unfortunately, during a meeting between Lex and Lionel, Victor’s circuitry had malfunctioned with tragic results. The police had tried to suppress the security footage of Victor crushing Lionel’s skull, but it had leaked to become a staple on the internet for those in search of a true life horror fix. Lois had watched once out of what she saw as a duty to Chloe’s quest for journalistic truth – she would definitely never forget the look of utter horror on Lex’s face as he tried helplessly to stop Victor.

Naturally given the amount of power and money involved, conspiracy theories abounded. Lex, beyond a few comments about his determination to get to the truth, had been completely silent. Alas, plenty of other Metropolis luminaries were willing to theorize, and the newspapers were more than happy to print any rumour that painted either Luthor in a bad light. Talk show radio was the worst though; Lex had already filed several suits against them for slander.

There had been some solid investigative reporting too of course. Lois’s favorite story had been written by Perry White in the Daily Planet, where he gave a very measured but devastating analysis of Lionel’s rise to power, and carefully outlined the many crimes of which he was suspected. Lionel’s political power had increased enormously in the last year as he spearheaded the drive for anti-metahuman legislation. Lois had been most intrigued by the allegations that Lionel had developed some super human abilities in his last few months, perhaps because of exposure to the second meteor shower. She could believe it – she remembered all too well how strangely Lionel had behaved the last time they met. The way he’d stared at Martha reminded Lois all too clearly of Lana’s many stalkers.

Lex gave a small sound, and Lois shook herself for getting so sidetracked. Chloe was her priority now; she couldn’t waste time with worry for Lex, who could definitely look after himself. She ignored the small voice in her head urging her to offer him some form of comfort, and stood to leave. She began briskly, “Thanks again, Lex…”

At that moment, the doors to Lex’s office swung open and two police detectives entered. They were followed by Lex’s nervous personal assistant. “I’m sorry sir; I tried to get them to wait, but…”

Lex rose and told Lois in a clipped voice, “Talk to Bruce!” He then turned to his assistant and started to issue instructions, “Call Clive in…”

The detectives gave them all an impatient look and drew their tasers, though keeping them pointed to the floor. The taller one interrupted, “Lex Luthor, you are under arrest for the murder of Lionel Luthor. Be advised – the use of lethal force is authorized.”

Lex was led out of LuthorCorp in handcuffs, each step punctuated by the click of cameras documenting the fall of a corporate icon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori is under attack; Lex meets Maggie Sawyer

  
**Spring Cove – next morning**

Lori entered the solarium just after 8 o’clock to check up on Kyle. They’d finally made it home yesterday late in the afternoon, taken care of Red Storm, and snagged a quick snack. Lori had then given him a quick tour of the rather enormous house and left him in the solarium while she prepared dinner. By the time she’d finished though, Kyle was sound asleep on a sofa. He’d looked so peaceful in the light of the setting sun that she hadn’t had the heart to disturb him. Instead she’d covered him with a blanket and left a map showing him where to find leftovers when he woke up.

Kyle was still sleeping restlessly, and Lori smiled at the sight of his raven hair spiking up at odd angles. For such a tall man, he looked strangely vulnerable and all too lean – as though he hadn’t been fed properly in years. She frowned as she again noticed the bruises on his arms, though they seemed to have faded a fair bit. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand to stroke his face. Kyle gave a low moan and twisted sharply away in his sleep.

Lori drew her hand back, bit her lip, then lightly shook his shoulder. She spoke softly, “Kyle, it’s time to get up. I think we need to get some food into you.”

Kyle’s eyes opened with a snap, pupils distended as in fear. He sat up with a jolt and looked around with confusion. “Who, who, what…?”

“I’m Lori. We met yesterday – do you remember?”

Kyle stared at her blankly for a moment, then his eyes cleared. “Lori… Lorelei Lee. You fell off a horse and I helped you out. This must be your place.”

“That’s right. You were so tired you fell asleep just after we got here. I’m sorry for waking you, but you must be hungry.”

Kyle gave a hesitant nod, clearly still a little disoriented. “I… yes. That sounds great. But I need to wash up first.”

“Down the hall, third door on the right. Then just keep going all the way down the hall to find the kitchen. Be careful not to make a wrong turn – people can get spectacularly lost around here.”

Lori said this almost proudly, because the resemblance of the ground floor layout to a maze was one of the house’s defining features. Spring Cove Manor had been built at much the same time as Wayne Manor, and looked somewhat like a smaller cousin of that noted landmark from the outside. The inside though was a completely different matter. Spring Cove had a very modest entryway that on one side led to expansive sun-filled rooms looking southward onto the enormous gardens. At the southeastern corner lay her favorite room, the solarium, which bowed out from the rest of the house to get full sun practically all day long while also looking out on the ocean. A somewhat winding passage led to the kitchen in the northeast corner. And filling the northern side of the ground floor were quarters for the 40 odd servants who used to be required to run the place. The unique set up had been prompted by a distant ancestor’s regard for his somewhat arthritic butler and cook, which led him to build them comfortable quarters near the kitchen. The large rooms for the senior staff were interspersed seemingly at random by smaller rooms for the junior servants along a veritable labyrinth of corridors, apparently designed to prevent the staff from mingling late at night. Most of those rooms were empty now, or stored relics of bygone ages. Lori was the last of her branch of the Lees, and sometimes felt the need to repopulate the house very intensely.

Kyle gave her a quick smile and Lori felt her smile brighten in return; Kyle’s moods seemed almost contagious somehow. She helped him up and then headed towards the kitchen to finish preparations for breakfast. It seemed as though Kyle was like her and needed some coffee to truly wake up – she’d start a new pot.

After she’d done so, she looked around the kitchen and noticed the newspaper that the night watchman had brought in before going off shift. Her eyes widened at the headline:

> **Lex Luthor Arrested for Murder**   
>  **Cyborg Sabotage Suspected – Martial Law Invoked in Controversial Move**

Lori looked at the pictures splashed across the front page: a stony-faced Lex being led away in handcuffs, Lionel smiling arrogantly in a publicity shot, Victor Stone staring in bewilderment at the camera. She touched the picture of Lionel and felt a swell of emotion, part grief, mostly anger. She’d never really known him, and still couldn’t quite decide if that was a good thing or not.

Kyle entered with another smile, which faded as he took in her expression. He read the headline over her shoulder and gave her a questioning look. “What does it mean that they invoked martial law?”

“It’s code meaning they have proof that Lex is a metahuman and therefore not covered by constitutional rights.”

Kyle looked at her in disbelief. “That can’t be right!”

“It’s definitely not right but it’s been the law of Kansas for the last four months because of all the violence. Lots of groups are trying to appeal to the Supreme Court but are being blocked by some very powerful special interests.”

Kyle was silent for a moment then tapped the picture of Lex. “Do you know him?”

“Lex? No, our paths never crossed. But Lionel…” Her voice trailed off, and she gave Kyle a shy look before rushing out, “Lionel’s my father. Or he was. But never, not really.”

At Kyle’s dumbfounded look, she stopped and got her thoughts together. “I mean, he was my father, biologically speaking. He had an affair with my mother. He charmed her, lied to her about leaving his wife, the usual thing. When mom told him she was pregnant though, he gave her money for an abortion and threatened to have her locked up if she ever tried to contact him again. Mom went running back home to her dad, who arranged everything down to falsifying my birth. Until I was 18, I thought mom was actually a doting distant relative. It wasn’t until she was dying of cancer that she told me the truth.”

“Wow, that must have been so hard. To realize that the people you loved the most had been lying to you all your life.”

Lori sighed, grateful for his understanding. “It was. I know they did it to keep me safe but that only helps so much. So I struck out on my own and made a name for myself at Cal Tech and then became famous in Coast City as the newest whiz kid. And then one day I saw Lionel Luthor standing at the bar at a party I was attending. I don’t know what I was thinking – I just stalked up to him and threw a glass of wine in his face! Such a cliché, I know. But it felt good!”

Kyle looked down at Lionel’s picture and grinned, “I wish I could have seen it. He looks like this guy I keep seeing in my dreams. You know, the one who’s always chasing you around and doing things you’re helpless to stop.”

Lori looked at him soberly. “That’s Lionel for you. Anyways, he put the pieces together awfully fast – somehow, he even got a sample to do a DNA test to confirm his paternity. He called me up about two years ago and told me he was impressed with what I’d accomplished, and how disappointed he was with his sons. He wanted us to get to know each other better, but I brushed him off. We only talked a few times since. When I heard about his death a few days ago, it didn’t really bother me. I always thought one day he’d meet someone who wouldn’t put up with his bullshit and that would be it. For some reason though, this headline really hit me hard. Maybe it’s because I can’t help feeling sorry for Lex. Imagine being raised by someone who never had a kind word for you.”

Kyle placed his arm on her shoulder, and Lori gratefully leaned into him. She started to cry softly, “I don’t understand why I’m so upset. He doesn’t deserve it. He just doesn’t.”

Kyle was silent, at a loss as to what to say. He didn’t doubt that a lot of Lori’s grief was actually for her mother, so cruelly deceived all those years ago, forced to live a lie, and finally dying too young. He let her cry and tried to offer what comfort he could, even as part of him felt uncomfortable at being so close.

Lori finally pulled away with a sniffle and gave a small laugh. “Poor Kyle. Here I promised you food and instead you wound up covered in tears. I’m better now, so let’s get on with it. Let’s start with some cereal – I’ve got just about everything here.”

Kyle pulled down the Frosted Flakes and started to eat while Lori prepared some scrambled eggs. They made awkward small talk. Lori was surprised at how little Kyle knew of current events. It was as though he hadn’t read the news or even watched TV for a year. She tried to fill in the gaps in his knowledge without making him feel dumb. He seemed particularly drawn to her stories of the metahuman explosion, concentrated in Kansas but actually a worldwide phenomenon. Gotham’s problems seemed strangely different, almost as though someone was deliberately trying to amp up the levels of corruption, injustice and violence to drive people crazy. But she proudly insisted it was still her favorite city in the world and promised to show him the sights.

_Crack!_

Just as Lori was pouring a third cup of coffee, they heard the sound of glass breaking from the front of the house. They exchanged startled looks and silently agreed to investigate. Lori led him through the servant’s labyrinth, and they peered out at the lobby. The window next to the main door had been shattered, and the door stood ajar.

Lori whispered, “The entryways are all monitored. The silent alarm should have gone off by now.” She pointed to her wristwatch, which doubled as a security alert device. It shone green, even after she pushed what amounted to a panic button.

Kyle gave her a worried look and quietly mouthed, “Let’s call the police.”

They retreated cautiously to the phone in the kitchen. The room was filled with morning sun, which somehow did a lot to calm Lori’s nerves. She called the police who promised to send someone soon and advised her to stay by the phone in the meantime. She licked her lips anxiously, then looked over at Kyle for reassurance.

This room should be safe. Lori had held a few parties where one of the games was hide and seek, and it typically took her guests 15 minutes to run the maze, even knowing which room they were looking for. That should be just enough time for the police to arrive. And while she’d been on the phone, Kyle had lined the hallways leading to the kitchen with odds and ends from the cupboards. She smiled at his attempt to give them some warning if the intruder started to head their way. He whispered at her to stay out of sight, and they both went silent. Lori was very aware of the sound of her breathing and the rustle her clothes made every time she shifted weight. The house was eerily quiet.

As the minutes ticked away, Lori started to relax only to stiffen when they heard a rattle from along the corridor. Someone was getting near. Kyle pushed her down behind the counter then raised his head to check. “I hear something, but there’s nobody there,” he whispered.

“Maybe he’s invisible,” Lori whispered back. At his dubious look, she continued, “Hey, it’s possible you know. Some of these people have the freakiest powers.”

Kyle looked unconvinced but reached into the cupboard and pulled out the flour jar. He opened it and heaved the contents up and out, across the room. “If there are any ghosts about, maybe that’ll help us spot them.”

Lori gritted her teeth as the flour slowly sifted down onto her. Somehow it seemed to avoid Kyle though, and he grinned at her apologetically. She was about to curse him for his crazy stunt when by the doorway she spotted an arm outlined in the cloud of flour. She gasped and clutched Kyle’s arm.

“I see you’ve set a trap for me, Ms. Lee. Very clever.” The gloating voice seemed to come from nowhere: the man must have stepped back from the drifting flour. “Unfortunately for you, I’m no longer trying to make this look like an accident. More publicity helps me find more business, you know.”

Kyle squeezed her arm and then scuttled away from her. She wanted to scream at him for running away, though logically she understood there was no reason for both of them to die. She moved in the other direction, trying to find a better hiding place.

She knew she’d made the wrong choice when the voice spoke again. “There you are! It’s a pity you know. I don’t like killing women, especially the pretty ones. But the money was exactly right for two days of my time. Tell me. Did you suspect anything yesterday?”

Lori gave a scream when an invisible arm snaked around her waist and pulled her from her hiding place. She tried desperately to get away, but her attacker was too strong. He slowly materialized into view, a tallish man with dark hair and a handsome face distorted by the manic look in his eyes. He smiled cruelly and whispered, “I always want people to watch me as I strangle them.”

His hands tightened around her neck, and she raised her hands to scratch at him while trying to get leverage for a karate throw she’d learned a few years back. But instead he leaned forward and knocked her off her feet, then landed on top of her. He kneed her in the gut, and smiled again as she started to wheeze. His hands tightened inexorably.

Lori’s vision started to turn to grey. But just as she began to despair, she noticed Kyle sneaking up on her attacker, frying pan in hand. He gave a huge swing and there was a loud clang as the pan made contact. Kyle had swung so hard that he couldn’t hold onto the pan and it ricocheted off the wall onto the floor. Kyle lost his balance and staggered forward, raising clouds of flour that got into his eyes.  

Her attacker rolled away from her and reached down to his side to pull out a gun. Kyle leapt forward and the two grappled. The man had at least a thirty pound weight advantage and used it to push Kyle back. He then hit Kyle in the head with the pistol, leaving an enormous welt. Still too short of breath to move, Lori watched in horror as the man raised the gun and aimed it point blank at Kyle’s chest

_Bang!_

The sound of the gunshot was very loud in Lori’s ears, despite the silencer the assassin used. She watched in horror as Kyle jerked backwards: his blood seemed to be everywhere. The man then turned to her in what seemed like slow motion and raised the gun again. He looked down at her with a smirk and said, “Goodbye, Lorelei Lee.”

Lori could only stare up in stunned horror and wait for him to pull the trigger. But suddenly, the man lurched forward and fell to the ground. Lori looked around and felt a rush of gratitude to see that Kyle wasn’t dead. Despite all the blood, he had crawled forward and somehow succeeded in tripping the man. Lori summoned all her energy to reach for the gun, then quickly removed the bullets and tossed them across the room. Kyle gave her an approving smile, then picked up the frying pan and gave the man another whack. With a groan, the assassin collapsed into unconsciousness.

Kyle and Lori collapsed on the floor as well; too tired to wipe away the blood and flour that coated them. The police arrived a few minutes later to find them lying there basking in the morning sunshine, hands clasped in silent fellowship.

***

### Metropolis Police Department – next day

Lex sat quietly in the interrogation room, trying not to let his anger show. He’d been there for 40 hours now, with music blaring loudly whenever the police left him alone. They were currently playing what sounded like a child’s recital of the Moonlight Sonata. Every missed note made him want to scream in protest.

Seeking comfort, his mind shifted to happier days with Clark. Their relationship had never been easy given the secrets between them, not to mention the differences in their worldviews. Lex had tried not to push though because he’d recognized in Clark something unique, near limitless strength tempered by compassion. He’d also envied Clark his idyllic life with the Kents, only to realize after Clark’s disappearance that nothing had been as simple as it looked from the outside. Watching the chaos spread from Lionel’s political maneuverings in the metahuman debate, he’d come to appreciate how much Clark had to fear if his abilities were detected. He’d also gotten to know Jonathan well in the months before his death and had come to respect his somewhat prickly but deeply idealistic approach to life. He had supported Jonathan in his run for the state senate, and still felt a twinge of guilt that this support might have led to Jonathan’s death. Martha had tried to reassure him otherwise, but her judgment had clearly been clouded by grief. Why else would she have turned to his father?

Grimacing at that thought, Lex brought his mind back to that magical moment so many years ago when he’d awoken from certain death to find himself in the arms of a dark haired, green eyed angel. First impressions are hard to overcome, and he was uncomfortably aware of all the times he’d treated Clark as his own personal Jesus, someone who could save him from the darkness around and in him. At the same time, he’d constantly felt judged and unable to live up to Clark’s unreasonable standards. How he wished now that he’d torn through the constraints between them and told Clark clearly how he felt. Or better yet shown him. Lex’s eyes drifted shut as he imagined the touch of Clark’s lips on his own. He wondered what Clark would taste like – something pure no doubt, like sunshine on a summer meadow. He then mentally rolled his eyes at himself for such a sentimental thought, and smiled.

The music in the interrogation room suddenly cut off, and a female officer entered. Lex recognized her from an encounter several years earlier – Detective Maggie Sawyer. For the eleventh time, he asked for his lawyer and for the eleventh time, he was denied. “Under the Metahuman Act, your right to an attorney is suspended.”

“You know that law was intended for criminals caught during an act of terrorism. It’s shameful the law was ever enacted, and unacceptable to apply it to what is, at worst, a familial power struggle gone wrong.”

Detective Sawyer looked him in the eye and replied, “There are a lot of people who would agree with you. And I personally think it’s a great pity that Jonathan Kent died before he could enter the senate. I know he was planning to push for more rights and he had a lot of popular support. But I’m under strict orders from the top – no lawyers. I’m also authorized to use any non violent means whatsoever to aid our interrogation.”

Lex sighed. “Making someone disoriented through lack of sleep doesn’t mean they’re all of sudden going to tell you what really happened. Sure I’ll probably break down eventually, but I’m just as likely to tell you what I think you want to hear as the truth.”

Detective Sawyer nodded. “That’s always been one of the best arguments against torture in my opinion.” She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

Lex fidgeted – he hated being ignored. “Can you at least tell me what made you arrest me now? I told you what happened last week and gave you the security tapes. What changed since then?”

Sawyer pursed her lips and opened a file. “All right, I’ll play. Have you ever heard of Cyntechnics?”

“They’re the company that created Victor’s cybernetic enhancements. I checked them out prior to hiring Victor – I was very impressed with the progress they were making.”

“So impressed perhaps that you acquired a majority share?”

Lex blinked. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sawyer smiled wolfishly and pushed forward a computer printout showing his stock trading activity over the past month. Highlighted in yellow were several enormous transactions involving biotech companies. “Turns out, these are all some sort of elaborate shell game – they’re actually holding companies for Cynthechics. And all of these purchases mean you own 63% of the company. I have a feeling the SEC will not be pleased at your failure to notify them of your takeover.”

Lex stared at the record, baffled. “Those numbers aren’t right. Where did you get this? I want to see my own records for comparison.”

Sawyer gave him an assessing look, then flipped to another page in the file. “They were part of a data dump we got from your father’s lawyer, along with his documentation of your mutation. Apparently, you have superhuman healing abilities – congratulations. Anyways, when pointed in the right direction, we quickly confirmed the records. We haven’t found any correspondence from you directing Cynthechnic to sabotage Stone, but you know how cops are. We get suspicious when people withhold information.”

“Detective Sawyer, I can imagine how this must look to you, but listen to me. You can’t trust any electronic records. I don’t know how, but I know for a fact that many of them have been altered. Do you remember my father’s trial last year? Go look up the newspaper reports: see if they match what you remember reading back then. My best friend testified to seeing me undergo electroshock treatment at Lionel’s behest – but that’s now missing from the record. You can’t believe anything on the internet. And as for hard copy, you’d be amazed at how many of the battles over the last year have destroyed libraries and other public archives.”

Detective Sawyer stared at him for what felt like hours, then pursed her lips and stood up with a sigh. “You know Lex, I AM going to check. I’m going to check because the one thing that bothers me about this is that you’re too smart to have left such an obvious trail between you and your father’s killer. Your father’s files hint at lots of corporate malfeasance, but he was never able to get enough proof to use against you. That tells me something.”

As she left the room, the music resumed. Somehow though, Lex was cheered as The Sex Pistol’s ‘God Save the Queen’ started to ring out. At the very least, someone out there had a sense of humour. He joined in singing, “We’re the poison in your human machine. We’re the future. Your future… No future for you.”

After years denying he had anything in common with other metahumans, it felt somehow liberating to be exposed. He just hoped Detective Sawyer had really listened. Unless he missed his guess, things were set to get awfully bad for the entire human race in a big hurry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lois visits Belle Reve, Kyle and Lori discuss the discrepancies in his life, and Lex unravels some clues

**[](http://pics.livejournal.com/jlvsclrk/pic/00031sx3/)**

**Belle Reve near Metropolis – next day**

Lois grinned in satisfaction as she was led down the hallway of Belle Reve to a secure conference room. Thanks to Lex’s introduction, Bruce Wayne had agreed to meet her yesterday and had then reviewed her file on Chloe. He clearly understood the medical details and asked several incisive questions that showed how far off base his flighty reputation was from the truth.

The speed with which he then got her access to Belle Reve had amazed her, but she supposed it shouldn’t have. After all, Thomas Wayne had been a renowned physician, and the Wayne Foundation funded hospital wings and provided research grants across the country. Still she had been grateful, and would have been glad to express that gratitude during a night on the town. Sadly, Bruce had declined. Just as well she supposed – the round trip to Gotham had really eaten into her schedule, especially when the airline misplaced her reservation.

On one side of her strode the thin, somewhat anemic Dr Fine – Chloe’s doctor. On the other was the consultant recruited by Bruce, Dr Chase. The two psychiatrists exchanged academic small talk that went straight over her head, but that was fine. They had their agenda for this meeting; she had hers.

Dr Fine led them into a rather sterile looking room with just four chairs and a table – no pictures, no windows. He turned to Lois and advised, “I fear that you should not expect too much today. Miss Sullivan is essentially as unresponsive as the day she was admitted. Since our last meeting, we have tried to offer her some activities you indicated could be of interest to her. The only one she reacted to at all was the crossword puzzle book. She actually seemed quite proficient, but got quite angry when people tried to talk to her while she was working on it.”

Lois heaved a mental sigh of relief and grinned vapidly. “Sounds like my Chloe. That girl has been a crossword puzzler since we were six – she even won some competitions! Before she got swept up in that Smallville nonsense, I’d always find her with a puzzle book handy. She’s always been the smart one.”

Dr Fine nodded and glanced over at Dr Chase. “Indeed. Obsessive compulsive disorder, perhaps?”

Dr Chase responded coldly, “I hesitate to offer a diagnosis without having even met the patient.”

Dr Fine nodded towards a guard and replied, “Of course. Here she is.”

Chloe entered the room, looking very small and fragile. Lois’s eyes became teary at the sight of her beloved cousin, closer to her than any sister. She took a step forward to hug Chloe, who ducked away. They stood there awkwardly.

Dr Chase broke the silence. “Why don’t we all sit down and I’ll just ask Chloe a few questions.” Dr Fine and Lois took their seats, but Chloe continued to stand until the guard pushed her forward. Batting away at him, she finally obeyed but refused to make eye contact even with Lois.

For the next half hour, Dr Chase tried to get Chloe to talk but seldom got as much as a grunt in response. She finally gave Lois a look that asked if she had any ideas. Lois reached into her purse with a bright smile and pulled out a page torn from a newspaper. She asked Dr Fine, “Is this Okay? It’s the New York Times Sunday crossword – Chloe’s favorite. It might calm her down.”

Dr Fine looked over the page and glanced over at Dr Chase, who nodded. Expressionlessly, he handed the page to Chloe, whose pale face lit up.

The rest of their session was filled with the sound of Chloe muttering about the clues and scribbling down answers. She worked quickly and decisively for minutes at a time, then seemed to lose focus. But when anyone tried to talk to her, she got angry and yelled at them to leave her alone.

Finally, Lois’s patience snapped. She snatched at the puzzle and begged Chloe, “Why won’t you talk to me? I love you! We all just want to help you!”

Chloe responded by snatching back at the puzzle, ripping the page nearly in half. “You’re not real! Nothing is real! Don’t you understand? Don’t believe what you see! The internet is a lie! It’s a conspiracy!” With each statement, she tore her half of the puzzle into even tinier pieces.

As Chloe became increasingly agitated, Dr Fine stood and quickly administered a sedative. He then signaled to the guard, who led a still struggling Chloe out of the room. Something in their attitude sent a chill down Lois’s spine. She would need to work fast.

She left Belle Reve with Dr Chase by her side, both lost in thought. When they finally reached the privacy of the car provided by Bruce though, Dr Chase turned to her. “Your suspicions are well founded. Her doctor seemed competent enough technically but seems strangely lacking in empathy. I can’t say it’s surprising that his patients don’t respond. And granted I didn’t have much time with her, but I believe your cousin is no more crazy than a fox.”

Dr Chase paused for a moment, and gave Lois a curious look. “She’s certainly putting on a great show though. The question is, why?”

Lois was silent, but her lips tightened in resolve as she vowed to answer that question. She clutched the other half of Chloe’s puzzle tightly in her fist.

***

###  Spring Cove – next day

Lori entered the sun-filled kitchen at around 8 to find Kyle already there, reading the paper. He’d already prepared them a light breakfast and poured her some coffee, then handed her the front page.

‘Financial Markets Closed: Terrorism Suspected,’ blared the main headline in the large type reserved for major disasters. ‘Protecting Your Money,’ read the banner for a sidebar article. And beneath the fold, overshadowed by the stories on a possible financial meltdown, two smaller stories stood out. The first read, ‘No Leads in Home Invasion’, with a picture of her and Kyle looking disheveled. The second blared ‘Luthor Released in Evidence Dispute.’ Lori smiled in relief at the last.

She then quickly read through the lead story. All over the world, investigations were being launched into what were being dubbed acts of economic terrorism. It went beyond the financial system though – discrepancies had been noticed in electronic records of just about all types, from online newspaper archives and blogs to scientific and business data to travel reservations to personal information posted on places like Facebook.

The discrepancies had been minor at first and the corresponding complaints had been ignored, or handled on a one off basis. But officials now believed those early attempts were just test runs for whatever virus was being used. Financial chaos loomed.

“Good thing I’ve got enough cash on hand to get through the next few weeks. It says here they’re temporarily freezing credit and shutting down the ATMs. I bet it’ll be a nightmare if you have to go to a bank to make a withdrawal.” She laughed and added, “I’m going to have to put some feelers out. Electronic security and disaster recovery were my specialties. I bet my old company is swamped right now.”

She glanced over at Kyle who looked back with a clear question in his eyes. She responded, “Yeah, I do miss my old job, but it got out of control towards the end. We were the “it” company for a while and got all kinds of publicity and the press latched onto me in particular. It was really strange, and then these people started following me around all the time. One guy in particular just creeped me out every time I saw him. He never said anything to me, but I just felt threatened somehow. So I decided to take a break and came back home to raise horses for a while. I’m sure I’ll go back someday.”

Kyle nodded understandingly but said nothing. He looked tired and wan – even the once livid bruise on his cheek from the attack had all but faded away.

The silence didn’t bother her – Kyle’s somewhat haggard appearance did. It had only been three days since the attack on her home, four days since she met Kyle, and yet she already felt like she’d known him forever. They seemed to have a connection, helped perhaps by the fact that there were no sexual overtones to their relationship. Kyle was probably the handsomest man she’d ever met, but his underfed look had brought out her protective instincts from the very start. She now thought of him as a brother of sorts, and wanted only to see him happy.

He finally broke the silence and admitted, “I’ve been having these headaches for the past few days; bad ones, like my head is going to explode. I have all these gaps in my memory, and nothing seems to make sense. Maybe I should have gone to the hospital as the paramedics suggested.”

Lori suppressed the urge to smile, because the paramedics had done somewhat more than “suggest” Kyle return with them for treatment. They’d been downright insistent, only backing down in the face of what amounted to a panic attack on Kyle’s part and the arrival of Lori’s own doctor. He’d assured them all that as bullet wounds went, Kyle had been remarkably lucky; in fact, the assassin had nearly missed him completely. The doctor had patched up Kyle’s shoulder and they’d signed a lot of forms before the paramedics finally left, grumbling about patients who wasted their time by refusing treatment.

Kyle looked at her, sensing her train of thought, and gave a wry smile. “Okay, so I over-reacted that time, and it’s not as though I actually _want_ to go to the hospital. But it’s scary not really understanding who you are. I mean, so many things just don’t add up.”

Lori nodded – that had quickly become apparent. After the paramedics left, Kyle and she had spent the day lounging in the solarium, doing nothing more than talk when it suited them and admiring the view when it didn’t. He’d given her a brief outline of his life story – a native of Star City, survivor of a broken home and an abusive step father, a run away at 16, a life on the streets. He’d glossed over his memories of all too many back alley assignations, but they manifested in Kyle’s reluctance to be touched anywhere remotely intimate. Kyle was clearly ashamed what he’d done to keep himself alive, but at least had managed to stay clear of the worst of it. All too many of the boys he’d met that first year had wound up dead or hooked on drugs.

Yet the next day, they’d both learned a lot more about Kyle. They’d gone to the stable to check up on the live-in groom who, like the guard at the security gate, had been knocked unconscious the day before by the assassin. Fortunately, the injuries had not been serious – the assassin apparently prided himself on minimizing the collateral damage on his attacks. “I only kill for money,” was the one statement the assassin had made to the police, who had not yet even been able to determine the man’s name.

The groom had still been somewhat groggy, and Kyle had volunteered to do the heavy work around the stable. The groom had supervised at first, but headed to bed when Kyle had quickly shown his proficiency with a pitchfork. The horses had reacted calmly to Kyle’s presence and Lori had been impressed with how quickly Kyle had cleaned out the stalls. She had helped out with the grooming, then started her normal morning riding routine.

Kyle had further impressed her with his comments about each horse’s performance after she finished their workout. He didn’t have the technical vocabulary, but recognized for example that Red Storm had a wonderful natural stride but was too stiff when asked for a collected trot or canter.

Lori had explained, “I bought him off the race track when I saw him run one day. He’s not fast by thoroughbred standards but he just seems to float along. I hope to make him an event horse given his jumping ability, but he needs a lot of training in the dressage ring. He really just wants to run and doesn’t quite understand why I want him to take shorter steps.”

Kyle had smiled and gave Stormy a pat. “I remember…” And then he had stopped, before hesitantly continuing, “That’s weird. For a moment there, I had this glimpse of a girl and a horse. I think I was helping her train for a show. She said something almost the same about what we needed to work on. But I don’t know when that could have happened.”

“Before you ran away from home, certainly. What’d she look like?”

“Dark hair, pretty, beautiful even. I think I had a crush.” Kyle had had a puzzled look on his face. “Why can’t I remember anything else about her?”

Lori had frowned. “Maybe that attack in Gotham caused a concussion. When we first met, you said you couldn’t remember the details. How’d you wind up there in the first place?”

Kyle had shaken his head. “I don’t know. I’d never been to Gotham before, avoided it even because of the gangs. I just… woke up and I was there, and this guy had his hand on my dick and another one was stroking my hair and saying how much money I’d be worth. I started fighting and the rest you know.”

They had both fallen silent for a while then mutually decided to change the topic. After lunch, Lori had taken him on a tour of the Manor’s extensive gardens. Kyle had been impressed and wound up talking with her head gardener about fertilizer and pesticides and organic alternatives. The gardener, a taciturn old man with little use for most people, had been positively voluble in Kyle’s presence.

Lori shook her mind from the past and spoke to Kyle. “So, you were a city boy who ran away and lived on the streets and got hit on the head during a fight. You’re also good with horses and know your way around a barn and a garden. You think you had a crush on a girl but don’t remember much else about her. And you’re a hero of course.” At Kyle’s skeptical look, she insisted, “You saved my life twice in under a week. That makes you a hero.”

“Anyone would have done the same. I’m just glad I was there to help.”

Lori gave him her best “Oh please” look, but decided not to debate the point and instead asked, “Anything else?”

Kyle gave her a hesitant look then admitted, “Last night I went online. I was looking for information on headaches and I found all these interesting links. I started clicking and pretty soon found myself reading stuff straight out of medical journals. I can still see the pages in front of me!”

He gave her a nervous glance, as though somehow ashamed of his photographic memory. She just shrugged and waved for him to go on. “So, I saw these ads for free IQ tests and started doing them. I was amazed at how many different kinds there were. I scored really high on most. Like REALLY high.”

Lori smiled. “I’m not surprised Kyle, you strike me as a very intelligent person.”

Kyle gave her a bashful grin and admitted, “But I really flunked out on some of the tests too. There was this one about identifying people’s emotions based on their facial expressions and I was just baffled. It said I lacked empathy.”

Lori laughed. “Now that I find hard to believe. Maybe you don’t react in standard ways, but you’re one of the most caring people I’ve ever met. Those tests aren’t always right, you know.”

Kyle smiled back. “So I should believe all the tests that say I’m smart and ignore the ones that say I have problems?”

Lori nodded, “That’s pretty much how it works. So we’ll add ‘intelligent’ with an asterisk and ‘internet savvy’ to your list of abilities. What else?” Lori loved trying to correlate data – it was one of her particular skills.

Kyle paused for a long moment, clearly struck by a memory. He finally blinked and gave her a troubled look. “I think ‘abilities’ is a loaded word for me. I just remembered this time I was feeling really upset, and saying my abilities just complicated everything. This woman tried to comfort me but I don’t think I really believed her.” He paused and softly smiled. “She sure was a nice lady though.”

Lori finished her breakfast while Kyle remained lost in though. He finally spoke up after she drained her cup of coffee. “My dreams are the weirdest though. I know dreams aren’t about logic and interpreting them is tricky, but mine feel really real – more real than my memories somehow. But they don’t make any sense at all. Sometimes I’m just bursting with power and energy, and I can run faster than the wind. And I’m invincible too – I dreamt of swatting bullets away like flies or blowing them up by looking at them. You know, I wasn’t frightened at all when that guy pointed the gun at me. I think I thought I could just dodge it. And I almost did, you know.”

Lori nodded slowly. “It never made sense to me that a trained assassin could miss from that short a range. There was blood everywhere but you seem to be healing fast. Do you mind if I see?”

Kyle pulled back his sleeve and pulled off the bandage on his shoulder – sure enough, the wound had completely healed. They both looked at it in silence.

Lori hesitantly continued, “So, maybe there’s something to the rest of your dreams. Do you want to run some tests?”

Kyle visibly shuddered. “That’s definitely another loaded word. Most of my dreams are about that. I’m locked in a room and all these people keep staring at me like I’m an animal in a zoo but they can’t figure out the right label to put on the cage. Sometimes they take me out and do things that make me scream and then they look at each other in disappointment and scribble some notes.”

Lori swore under her breath and raised her hand to Kyle’s shoulder for a gentle squeeze. “It won’t be like that I promise. I just want to help you understand who you are. If you’ve got some special abilities, we need to know, and even more we need to know your limitations. It could be fun you know. We can start by testing your speed on the jogging trail outside. If you break the four minute mile barrier, I’ll… I’ll bake you a cake!”

Kyle thought about it carefully and then slowly nodded. He ducked his head, then looked up and begged, “Chocolate cake?”

Lori’s lips twitched in amusement as she absorbed the devastating blast of those soulful eyes. She had a feeling she’d be doing a lot of baking over the next few days.

***

###  Luthor Mansion in Smallville – same day

Lois was brimming with repressed energy as she waited to be let into the library to see Lex. She bounced on her toes and asked to the security guard, “So was he late getting out of bed today? I do have an appointment, you know.”

The guard studiously ignored her, staring instead at the panel in front of him.

Lois persisted, “I really think you should tell him again I’m here. He’ll definitely want to see me. I think he kind of owes me one now. You know, if I hadn’t told him about…”

A light flashed on the security panel and the guard interrupted tonelessly, “Mr. Luthor will see you now.” He opened the door to the library and ushered Lois in.

Lex rose to greet her and gestured to the man at his side. “Lois, you’ve met Bruce. He flew over this morning to discuss the financial situation. I’m sorry, we lost track of time.”

Bruce stood in front of the stained glass window, looking breathtakingly handsome in the light. He greeted her with a careless smile and a quick touch of palms. “Miss Lane. Can I hope that you got what you wanted from your visit to your cousin yesterday?”

Lois resisted the urge to flirt in response, though the temptation to thaw out those ice blue eyes was compelling. “What I really wanted was to get Chloe out of there, but I knew that wasn’t possible so quickly. Seeing that she was safe was the next best thing.” Lois paused, then awkwardly resumed, “I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne, but I need to talk to Lex in privacy about something. I hope you don’t mind.”

Bruce gave her a small bow and moved smoothly to the door. “Not at all, Miss Lane. Lex, I’ll just be in the guest room when you’re through.” He silently exited, pulling the doors closed behind him.

Lois turned to Lex. “Thanks for seeing me again on such short notice, Lex. I imagine you’re busier than ever, but this is important.” She reached into her bag and pulled out several sheets of paper. The first was the half of the crossword puzzle that Lois had taken from Chloe, laminated to prevent it from tearing further. Another sheet contained a blank copy of the puzzle, while a third sheet was yet another copy of the puzzle, partially filled in by Lois.

She put the blank copy of the puzzle in front of Lex and demanded, “22 down – what’s the answer?”

Lex stared at her for a moment, then looked at the clue. “‘Felt abundant ire.’ That’s easy – Fertile. Abundant is the real clue and the rest is an anagram.”

Lois smiled. “And 44 across?”

Lex gave her a quizzical look but responded, “‘Half of a Dan Brown novel.’ So it’s either Angels or Demons. And since it intersects with the ‘l’ in Fertile, it’s Angels. Lois…”

Lois interrupted, “Would you say those are pretty easy answers?”

Lex responded, “Certainly for the Times Sunday crossword. Lois, what’s this all about?”

Lois’s smile widened and with a flourish she placed Chloe’s copy of the puzzle in front of Lex. “So you can see why I find Chloe’s answers so fascinating!”

She picked up a marker and circled Chloe’s answers to the clues. Instead of Fertile, Chloe had written Farmboy, and for Angels, she had written Luthor.

Lois explained in a rush, “It’s a game we used to play when we were kids. We were always figuring out ways to pass each other secret messages if we got caught behind enemy lines. The General taught me some cryptography tricks but Chloe thought this one up for fun. You take a big crossword puzzle and fill it in but answer a few of the questions wrong – those wrong answers are your secret message. It helps if the people who are guarding you don’t really speak English well, because then they usually can’t pick out the wrong answers. And for added security, you always tear the puzzle in half just in case your contact gets searched.”

Lex gave a small smile, “Elaborate but it looks like it worked.” He rubbed his thumb over the word Farmboy, feeling his heart beat faster at the thought of some clue concerning his best friend’s disappearance. “What else?”

“That’s where I need your help. I’ve come up with several words clustering around the Luthor.” She circled them – held, three, level. “And over here, there’s two more – black, alien. I may have missed some more.”

Lex quickly checked Chloe’s answers, impressed by how she had woven the wrong answers seamlessly together, then into the correct ones. “Just this one other set – mimic, ship, doctor, power, stole.”

Lex stared at the words, combinations forming in his head. He wrote them out. ‘ _Farmboy held level three’_ : this stood out and filled him with excitement. Could Lionel have possibly kept one of his Level Three facilities hidden from Lex’s view? Knowing Lionel, Lex wouldn’t put it past him. But no matter how well hidden, Lex knew there would have to be a paper trail somewhere. He silently blessed Chloe for the tip, and vowed to help her any way he could.

‘ _Black ship alien’_ : this he already knew. He remembered the sickening feel of Lionel’s taunts the day it disappeared from his research facility. He wondered again what had happened to the alien invaders who had arrived with the ship. They had killed hundreds in only a few short hours, then disappeared completely from sight. Was there a link to Clark?

That left five words: ‘ _Luthor doctor stole power mimic’_. He looked up at Lois to see if she had any insight.

“Luthor – that might just have been telling me to go see you. Chloe’s real smart though and I’m thinking it might have a second meaning. Remember that the clue refers to Angels and Demons? Well, Chloe was muttering while she was solving the puzzle and said something about a bald angel fighting a hairy demon. So I think Lionel has something to do with this.”

Lex agreed cynically, “I’d take that as a given.”

Lois resumed, “So remember those rumours of Lionel suddenly having powers? What if he stole them somehow, maybe using some alien technology?” Lex looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged. “Look, I talked to Lana – she told me about seeing two aliens come out of a black ship. I saw them in action at the hospital – they were incredibly fast and strong. She lured them to the mansion before being knocked out. Guess who else was there?”

“Lionel. It’s not the first time I’ve thought there might be a connection. He collapsed during the meteor shower because of a mysterious artifact that then disappeared from my safe. He was fine the next day.”

“Did you see any changes in him after that?”

“It was more like he reverted to his old form. For a while after he was released from jail, he did seem to be a different man, more caring, less wrapped up in power games. But I was never sure if it wasn’t simply a PR ploy. Too many rich people use charity as a cover for making business connections. Anyways, after the meteor shower, he disappeared for a few weeks. When I saw him again, he’d just announced his backing for the Metahuman Act. I tried convincing him that it wasn’t fair to treat all mutants like criminals for simply existing, but he said this was the time to show strength and gain control. He was getting more involved in politics; I had a feeling he was thinking of running for President on a law and order platform. That’s why I backed Jonathan in the election campaign.”

Lois nodded sadly. “Mr. Kent could really have made a difference. Everyone around Smallville had reason to be scared but when he talked, you could also see the other side. It was a tragedy for everyone when he was killed.”

“I always wondered if dad had anything to do with that. It was all so convenient for him, leaving the election wide open and Martha Kent adrift. I tried to warn her…”

Lois nodded again. “So did I. But she was so sad, so lost, what with Clark missing and Jonathan dead. She needed a friend, and I just wasn’t old enough. And then Lionel saved her when that guy attacked them. She gave him a chance and he did what he always did – he made her regret it. I’m just glad she wasn’t hurt even worse when she finally left him.”

Lex nodded somberly. Martha had left Lionel two days before his death after a vehement argument that apparently revolved around Clark. She had then been attacked on her way back to the Kent Farm and still lay in a coma. Lex had been suspicious over his father’s involvement but as always there had been no proof. Even the audio for the security tapes showing the fight had been deleted.

Lex put aside his thoughts about the past and shifted his attention back to the puzzle. “Okay, so we’re agreed Lionel was involved somehow, and that ‘stolen power’ might refer to him. That leaves ‘doctor’ and ‘mimic’. Any ideas?”

“Well, this is a little out there, but there’s something really off about Chloe’s doctor – he just gives me the creeps. Even Dr Chase commented on his lack of empathy. And Chloe shouted something about not believing what you see. She said, ‘You’re not real’. I don’t think she was talking about me.”

“So her doctor’s a fake?” Lex circled the word ‘mimic’ in the puzzle clues. “What does he look like?”

“Nothing unusual. Average height, slender, brown hair, a little pale. The only thing that really stands out are his cheekbones. And his eyes I suppose – they’re really intense. He always looks at you like you’re some sort of insect.”

Lex looked at her with an arrested expression. “That sounds very familiar.” He started to sketch on a blank page and showed it to her.

“That’s him! I had no idea you could draw so well. Where did you meet Dr Fine? Was he one of your doctors at Belle Reve?”

Lex grimaced bitterly. “No. I met him about a week ago. He said his name was Milton Fine, and that he was working for the Department of Domestic Security. He showed me some proof that Lionel was behind the outbreak of violence, all to enable an alien invasion. He’s the reason I went to see Lionel that night – the reason Lionel is dead.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori geeks out, an impromptu team uncovers the truth, and Kyle rises to the occasion

  
**Spring Cove – next day**

“On your mark, set. Go!”

Lori stood on the beach, stopwatch in hand, listening for the sound of Kyle’s approach. It was amazing how quickly things had changed in just the day since they’d started testing. Kyle’s first mile run had taken him 4 minutes and 13 seconds – amazing enough for anyone not in peak athletic form. Kyle had been barely winded though and insisted on another try to earn his chocolate cake. The time for his second run had been an astonishing 3 minutes and 52 seconds – world record territory. And each time since then, Kyle had gotten faster and faster until the main challenge became actually seeing him arrive at the finish line. They’d also lengthened the course so her reaction time wasn’t as important a factor – a real issue when someone could break the speed of sound.

_Whoosh!_

Lori clicked the stopwatch and resisted the urge to gape. She knew Kyle felt awkward when she made too much fuss over the results, but it was hard to suppress her excitement at the time – 7.36 seconds for 10 miles. That was close to 5,000 miles an hour, or over mach 6. Only a very few experimental planes could fly faster, in large part because moving so fast caused enormous frictional heating. But Kyle seemed strangely immune to the laws of physics, not even causing a discernible sonic boom much less damage to his clothes.

One moment Lori was alone; the next, Kyle seemed to blink into existence beside her. She’d be tempted to call it teleportation except for Kyle’s insistence that it was no such thing. To him, it felt like he was running at the same pace as usual but the rest of the world had slowed down. She wondered what it would feel like to be carried along for the ride, but didn’t particularly care to tempt fate. An aura of some sort must keep him safe, but who knew if it would extend to those he touched. She made a note to figure out some way to test the matter. Perhaps have Kyle carry around some crash test dummies.

Lori advised him, “You’re definitely still getting faster. There must be an upward limit, but it’s starting to look like it’ll be c-fractional.” Compared to ‘c’ or the speed of light, Kyle was still moving at a fairly pedestrian rate, but she’d hesitate to put anything beyond his limits at this point. She did some quick calculations of the kinetic energy involved and gave a low whistle. “Hey, you’re getting to be as powerful as a locomotive!”

Kyle grinned, happy to be out in the sun. Illogically considering how much energy he was exerting on each run, he was rapidly putting on weight and no longer resembled the emaciated scarecrow she’d first met. His hair had lightened from raven to chestnut and his skin had taken on a sun-kissed tone. If he’d been handsome before, he was now almost devastating to look at. Fortunately, he remained blissfully ignorant of his charms, perhaps beyond that of his smile.

She smiled back. “Okay, I think that’s enough running for now. How about jumping in the water and seeing how long you can hold your breath. Then we can break for lunch.”

As it turned out, Kyle stayed underwater for well over 2 hours, apparently immune to the cold of the ocean as well as the need to breathe. He finally resurfaced, complaining he was getting bored and hungry. Lori resisted the urge to scream at him; she’d been terrified he’d overstepped his limits and had drowned. Instead, she calmed her nerves and promised him more cake.

***

###  Luthor Mansion – next day

As they tried to follow the paper trail leading to Lionel’s hidden Level Three facility, Bruce’s presence turned out to be an unexpected blessing. During his long absence from Gotham, the board of Wayne Enterprise had authorized any number of ‘off the books’ projects. Creative accounting had become the norm, with offshore companies set up to create dummy transactions yielding a superficial profit. On his return, Bruce had needed to hire the best forensic accountants to find all the loopholes. Thanks to this team’s expertise, the LuthorCorp books were soon revealing their secrets.

Lex was disturbed to find how many projects Lionel had managed to keep active for so long after his fall from power at LuthorCorp. Many of them had military applications, and typically involved meteor rock. The safety record looked to be appalling – for all his talk about suppressing the metahuman threat, it looked like Lionel had created or enhanced a large proportion of the criminals in question. Lex knew he shouldn’t be surprised, given all the programs he’d had to shut down during his first year in charge. It sometimes amazed him that LuthorCorp ever managed to turn a profit.

There! Lex detected yet another anomaly and cross-checked it with other records. He then phoned Lois. “Hey. I’ve found another one. It has the hallmarks of Lionel’s original Level Three facility in Smallville. It’s just a chemical processing plant, but the salary figures are way out of line. And they don’t produce nearly as much as they should given the size of the plant.”

Lois replied, “Send me the info and I’ll check it out. Let’s hope for a break this time.”

Lois gave Bruce the directions to the plant, then leaned back in the leather seat to enjoy the drive. Bruce drove like a veteran of the Formula One circuit, flagrantly disregarding the speed limit of the almost deserted highway. He was utterly in control though, and Lois allowed herself a few moments of peace to savour the sensation of speed and perfectly harnessed power.

As much as they normally might get on each other’s nerves, the three had quickly fallen into an efficient working relationship. Lois had a real talent for reconnaissance, thanks to years of living with General Lane and trying to earn his approval. Bruce went with her to act as back up and another set of eyes. Lex waited back at the office, coordinating their efforts and trying to find new leads. They were all aware of the risk that they’d been sent on a wild goose chase by a madwoman, but Lois trusted Chloe, and Lex was willing to grasp at straws if it meant finding his best friend. Bruce just claimed to be having fun helping with the search, pleased perhaps at being freed from the normal expectations of Gotham society.

Bruce pulled up at the Rossville Chemical Plant and looked across at Lois for their next move. She handed him one of the sets of ID that Lex had prepared for them. She asked, “So shall we keep a low profile or put the fear of God in them?”

Bruce’s eyes twinkled mischievously, “God, or Lois Lane?”

 “Same difference.” She got out of the car and rearranged her blouse to emphasize the cleavage. Seeing his look, she explained, “Hey, it worked for Erin Brockovich!”

Bruce responded by subtly restyling his hair and clothing to give him the look of an irritated minion accompanying his boss on yet another useless fishing expedition. Lois nodded in approval and reminded him, “I’ll keep everyone’s attention on me, so you’ll be free to poke around a bit. At the first sign of trouble, call Lex. Don’t try to be a hero – I can take care of myself.”

Bruce muttered under his breath, “So can I,” but otherwise followed her lead as they swept into the plant.

Lois scented blood. She knew there was a story here from the sight of all the security personnel, not to mention the plant manager’s desperate attempts to direct her inspection away from certain parts of the facility. As the hours passed, her excitement grew as more and more discrepancies were uncovered. She called ‘head office’ several times for further authorizations, and Lex happily obliged by providing the appropriate security codes. Lex also sent in some outside security guards to prevent anyone from leaving the plant.

Meanwhile, Bruce was pretending to do routine audit checks while secretly hacking into hidden records. When he at last uncovered evidence of illegal experiments on metahuman test subjects, he quietly sent Lex and Lois a heads up. The experiments had been hastily disbanded on Lionel’s death and the test subjects had vanished. The researchers had tried to destroy the records, but had failed to take into account the back up drives that LuthorCorp had installed for disaster recovery purposes. On receiving the go ahead from Lex, Bruce started to sort through the seemingly endless files, sickened by what he read. He finally came across what they had come here looking for and handed the information off to Lois.

Lois stared across a conference table at Dr Maxwell Lowe, whose name was on all too many incriminating documents. She growled, “Dr Lowe, you are in serious trouble. At this stage, the only reason you _might_ escape a lifetime in jail is that LuthorCorp doesn’t need more bad publicity. But I’ve been talking to Mr. Luthor, and he’s starting to think turning in his father’s lackeys would earn him some major brownie points. I’d have to say he’s right. You will be going to jail. We might help get your sentence reduced though if you tell us where to find your guinea pigs, assuming they’re all still alive. It’s your choice.”

Dr Lowe protested, “We were just doing what we were told!” At her glare, he squirmed and broke out into a sweat. “Lionel Luthor was trying to protect us all, and he needed to know how to stop these people. And to do that, we had to understand what made them go in the first place!”

Lois looked at him in disgust. “Even with the travesty of the Metahuman Act, experimentation was strictly forbidden, if only from the fear of making them stronger. And look here, by your own accounts, one of your test subjects wasn’t a mutant at all. What’s your excuse for your treatment of him?”

Dr Lowe squirmed again. “Karl Carter was brought to us by Lionel Luthor himself. He told us that Karl needed to be kept out of sunlight in a secure facility. He arranged for the standard memory adjustment and then left. We assumed Karl had been the recipient of one of LuthorCorp’s first generation pharmaceutical treatments, and Mr. Luthor wanted to avoid any further lawsuits.”

“But why all these tests?”

“Karl started to rapidly lose weight even when we placed him on a high calorie diet. We needed to find out why.”

“So you tested his resistance to extreme heat and cold? Measured his pain threshold? Engaged in routine sleep deprivation tactics? Are you people insane?”

Dr Lowe flushed. “They were just standard tests, needed to establish a proper baseline. His blood work and physical tests were within normal parameters, but his psychological tests were far from it. We needed to understand what we were dealing with.”

With difficulty, Lois stopped herself from pursuing the line of questioning. The scientists in this facility had loved their work all too much and had seen their test subjects as subhuman. The combination had unleashed the worst in human nature – she could only hope they were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and didn’t get off because of a technicality.

“When Lionel died, you disbanded the experiments. What did you do with your victims?”

Dr Lowe murmured a protest at her word choice, then admitted, “For the dangerous ones, we injected a serum to suppress their ability. We then divided them into four groups and hired some drivers to dump them as far away as possible. We paid the drivers a lot of money to forget where they came from and where they went.”

Lois smiled nastily. “But I know you. You couldn’t resist the urge to find out. You wanted to know where your lab rats wound up, to be sure that your serum worked.”

Dr Lowe tried to squirm away but was stilled when Lois took a grip on his finger and started to apply firm pressure. “My father showed me some really useful interrogation techniques when I was younger. It’s been a while though, and I could really use some practice.”

Dr Lowe gave a yelp and admitted, “Two of them went to Gotham, one to Miami, the other to Coast City. I put tracking chips on all the freaks – I can give you the coordinates!”

“And what about Karl?”

“We just did another memory adjustment. He thinks his name is Kyle. Kyle Cook. Why? Why is he so important to you?”

“You are the last person I would ever tell. But I think you’ll find that you picked the wrong side in the Luthor power struggle. I can’t wait to see what form of revenge Lex dreams up for you.”

Lois swept out of the room before she did something she would regret. She nodded to a waiting guard to keep an eye on Dr Lowe until the police arrived. She then called Lex to update him on her findings.

“Kyle Cook – Miami, Gotham or Coast City. I’ll see if I can dig anything up. Great work Lois.”

Before she could hang up, Bruce approached her with a brilliant glimmer in his eyes. He opened his laptop and showed her a picture Lex had sent of Clark. “This is your friend, right? This is the most recent full body picture Lex could find.”

“Yes, so?”

“So, look. This is a program the police use to age a photo. It can also be used to see what someone would look like if they change weight. And apparently Clark lost a lot of weight while in here.”

“Yeah, the last measurement said he weighed 145 pounds. For someone who’s 6’3”, that’s awfully light.”

“Right. He’d look completely different. See?” The computer programmed morphed Clark’s figure with shocking results. His prominent cheekbones and eyes were now the only recognizable features in an almost skeletal body. Lois gasped at the sight and suppressed the urge to go back into the conference room and take out her anger on Dr Lowe.

Bruce continued, “I met him. About a week ago, in Gotham. He was being attacked and I helped him get away. But when I stopped to call the police, he ran away.”

Lois spoke into the phone, “Lex, are you getting all this?”

“Yes, I’ve narrowed down the search. Have Bruce send me the updated picture. You two might want to start heading east.”

“Right. We’re getting close, Lex. I can feel it!”

Bruce and Lois left the factory just as the police started to arrive.

The guard who had been watching at the door smiled in satisfaction, then decided he had time to clean up a particularly loathsome loose end. He entered the conference room and stared at Dr Lowe, who stared back like a frightened rabbit. Dr Lowe’s look changed to terror when the security guard’s body morphed into a completely different shape, known to humans as Milton Fine.

Fine spoke, “Jor-El was a fool, his son a weakling who sought only to reject his noble heritage. But the protection of Zod extends even to his bitter-most enemies. Your treatment of Kal-El demands vengeance.”

The last word Dr Lowe ever spoke was a frantic, “Why?” After that, there was only pain and silence.

Fine gave a cold smile of satisfaction, then signaled the Black Ship for extraction. Finally, after a year of searching, Kal-El lay near his grasp.

***

###  Spring Cove – later that day

Kyle and Lori lay on the beach outside the Manor, basking in the late afternoon sun. It was a lovely spring day, with the blue of the sky amplified by the blue of the sea. Kyle closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the salty tang of the ocean. Given the spring weather and rather stiff breeze, he supposed he should feel cold in just shorts and a t-shirt, but the chill invigorated him instead. He felt the sun caressing his skin and could almost feel his body drinking in the energy. He felt a deep connection to the world around him and relaxed bonelessly into the sand.

By his side, Lori was trying to make sense of the test results. Speed had proven the easiest of Clark’s abilities to quantify; the most recent measurement over a distance of 100 miles had been a dizzying 70,000 miles per hour – far faster than any rocket had yet achieved. At those speeds, he should be leaving a blazing heat signature much like a meteorite, but no. Something about him must be suppressing the effects of friction, much as it dampened the sound of his passing. She was no physicist but she could imagine the excitement and consternation her test results would create amongst their ranks.

Strength proved harder to measure, simply because Kyle could easily lift anything she could weigh. Cars proved no obstacle, and she smiled at the memory of Kyle doing some bench presses with an old mini-van. She’d then had Kyle jury rig together successively larger containers and filled them with tons of water – still no problem. According to her calculations, the last container should have cracked under its own weight when Kyle attempted to lift it. But it hadn’t – another example of the laws of physics bending in Kyle’s presence.

And then there was their latest discovery – Kyle could actually see into and even through solid objects! Judging by Kyle’s description, it was far more accurate than an X-ray; perhaps MRI technology was the closest equivalent. Kyle was clearly able to see a much wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum then anyone else, and perhaps could even emit energy himself. Lori’s mind struggled with the implications.

But for Lori, more important than understanding the data was reassuring Kyle that the strange results didn’t make him any less of a person. She made sure Kyle was enjoying himself and tried to instill in him a sense of pride. They talked about his dreams and memories, and were increasingly convinced that the former told the true story. She could only imagine that someone had noticed Kyle’s abilities and had detained him, depriving him of the sunlight he needed to thrive. She hesitated to investigate further though for fear of bringing him to the attention of the wrong people.

Lori closed her laptop with a snap and smiled down at Kyle. “Okay wunderkind, what do you want to do know? We could go for another ride if you like. Stormy needs almost as much exercise as you do!”

Kyle gave her a lazy grin and started to reply. But the grin suddenly faded and he stood up in a blur. “Something’s coming. Something fast!” His eyes stared west into the distance.

Lori peered in the same direction to no avail. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling. It’ll be here soon. Go back up to the house. Get everyone moving as far away from me as possible.”

“Kyle, I just can’t leave you alone!”

“Lori, listen to me. If I need to fight or get away, it’ll be easier if I don’t have to worry about you. Now run!”

Reluctantly, Lori obeyed. She crossed the beach and ran up the path towards the house. She wondered if she should hit the panic button on her watch but decided against it. If Kyle’s fears were right, the fewer people who saw what was about to happen the better. Fortunately, the workday was nearly over so there were hardly any around to worry about. She headed for the stables.

Suddenly, an enormous roar filled the skies. Lori looked up to see a shape drawing nearer. It somewhat resembled a stealth fighter, black and triangular, built for enormous speed. It gradually slowed, then descended in the gardens beside the manor. A hatch opened and a brown haired man stepped out. Lori ducked out of sight behind a shrub, then peered anxiously forward.

The man bellowed in an impossibly loud voice, “Kal-El! Come out and greet me, your father’s old comrade. I know you are here. Our mutual enemy had been keeping you from me, but your acquaintances gave me the clues to track you down. I found your image in the newspaper – just like your father, to have risked your life for one of these humans.”

Kyle warily approached the man. “I don’t know who this Kal-El is but I’ll try to help. My name is Kyle. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Kal-El, these humans have committed a grave injustice, keeping a Kryptonian captive and altering your memory so you would not know where to turn. It should never have been possible. Alas, you were betrayed by one who should have been your protector. Your father entrusted this man with great power, which he turned against you. To restore the balance, we must release the great hero of the people, General Zod.”

Kyle took a step back. “Why should I trust you?”

The man reached over to an enormous oak tree and casually uprooted it, then snapped the truck in two. “Because like you, I am Kryptonian. We are amongst the last few survivors of our proud race. It is imperative that we free General Zod and resume our great mission, to bring security to the known worlds. Only we have the strength to ensure the safety of this tumultuous race. Without our guidance, they shall surely fail.”

Kyle took another step back, disturbed by the tenor of the man’s comments and his wanton destruction of the magnificent oak. He started by repeating, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. But I don’t think it’s my place to make decisions for everyone else. I’ll save a man from drowning, but I’ll never tell him it’s not his right to swim.”

The man’s face filled with a look of disdain. “So weak, Kal-El. Just like your father. He resisted Zod and brought destruction to our home world. Do you foolishly intend to do the same?”

Kyle stopped retreating and instead stood tall before the man, feet grounded firmly in the earth. He crossed his arms and said sternly, “If you’re planning to take control, I’m going to try to stop you. Your choice, whatever your name is.”

“Your father christened me the Brain Interactive Construct. Humans call me Milton Fine. I do not seek to be your enemy. I have much to teach you of your Kryptonian heritage. Then you would understand the nobility of our goals. Especially under this planet’s yellow sun, we are as gods amongst men. We do not seek worship though, only security and order.”

Kyle prepared to argue at the idea of imposing order, but broke off when he heard a faint drone from the sky. Looking up, he saw a small plane headed toward them. It circled the estate, looking for a place to land.

Following his line of sight, Brainiac’s face tightened and he warned Kyle, “Kal-El, your enemies approach. They seek once more to confine you, perhaps even to destroy you. It is time to leave this place and meet your destiny at Zod’s side.”

Kyle’s eyes hardened in protest. “I’ll take my chances here. Does that make us enemies? It’s your choice.”

Brainiac gave a cold smile and declined to answer. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the circling plane and narrowed his gaze. Kyle felt a sudden blast of heat and watched in shock as the plane’s engine burst into flame.

For Kyle, time seemed to stop. He reached towards Brainiac and picked him up by the neck and waist. Then he twirled like a shot putter and threw Brainiac with all his strength towards the ocean. Brainiac flailed helplessly and landed far away with an enormous splash. He sunk below the waves. Beside Kyle, the Black Ship flickered, then disappeared.

Kyle had no time to savour his victory – he needed now to help the two passengers of the plane. His vision sharpened on them like a telescope. One, a woman, was trying to put out the fire, while the man was trying to regain control. Suddenly, he could hear the man’s voice, tensely warning the woman to prepare for a crash landing. Kyle bent his knees into a deep crouch and absorbed energy from the earth. Then like a spring, he uncoiled upwards into the sky towards the plane.

The woman was yelling, “Bruce, we’re out of time! I can’t …”

Her voice broke off as Kyle seemed to materialize in front of her. At the apex of his jump, Kyle had grabbed onto the plane and tore the door off. Without power, the plane lurched crazily then steadied in Bruce’s expert hands. Kyle entered the plane and surveyed the fire, agreeing with the woman’s assessment. Rushing forward, he grabbed first the woman, then Bruce, and then zoomed back to the door. He hesitated for an instant, then jumped.

As they fell, the woman screamed, “Clark, what the hell!” Overhead, the plane continued to fly for a few seconds, then exploded in a fireball. Pieces of shrapnel rained down on them, striking Kyle repeatedly in the back. The woman ducked into Kyle, watching as the ground approached them all too fast.

They landed with an enormous thump that opened up a small crater. Strangely though, neither of Kyle’s passengers felt more than a mild bump, as if they’d hopped down off a chair instead of falling hundreds of feet. Kyle released them and quickly stepped back. They both looked around in shock.

The woman spoke first, “Clark, what… I always wondered what Chloe saw in you, but this…” She trailed off, wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry, miss; I don’t know what you’re talking about. My name is Kyle.”

“Oh lord, not this again! This must be the twentieth time I’ve introduced myself since we met! I’m Lois; my cousin Chloe is your best friend. Lionel Luthor kidnapped you and did a mind wipe. Your name is Clark Kent, and you were raised in Smallville by Jonathan and Martha Kent. She’s the nicest woman I know, well when she’s conscious that is. I just know that she’ll get better once you show up at the hospital. But since when do you have abilities? That LuthorCorp scientist must have been holding out on us!”

Kyle took another step back, overwhelmed by the flood of information. He glanced at the other man in confusion.

“Don’t worry that you don’t recognize me; we’ve never met. My name is Bruce Wayne. I’m just helping out a friend.” Bruce held out his hand, which Kyle tentatively shook.

Bruce continued, “I understand if you’re confused, Clark. I think we all are. I don’t know what happened to the plane or how you were able to help, but I do know that we can figure out the answers. Trust me, Clark.”

Clark gave him a measuring look and relaxed slightly. From her hiding place on the lawn, Lori ran towards them, tears in her eyes. “Kyle, I was so scared. Thank god, you’re safe!”

He responded with an enormous smile and a quick hug. “You’ll never believe it. My name is Clark!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunions and revelations at the Smallville Medical Centre - special thanks to ladydreamer for her help with this section!

###  Smallville Medical Centre – next day

Through the long drive from Spring Cove to Smallville, Clark had remained mostly silent, struggling with his new identity. Lois had filled him in rather volubly on the events of the past year, slowing down only when she discussed the death of Jonathan Kent. With that news item, she had been surprisingly gentle and compassionate, showing a different side of the brash girl that formed her public persona. Clark hadn’t known how to react to the death of someone who had by all accounts meant the world to him. He sensed a world of grief was being held back only by his misplaced memories.

It had been a long drive – over 1200 miles. Bruce had done most of the driving, going as fast as he thought he could without attracting the attention of the police. They had only stopped for gas and to pick up food. They’d been lucky that both Bruce and Lori had been carrying cash as the credit freeze continued. The computer problems were in fact still spreading, which is why they’d had to drive rather than fly. Airports had been temporarily closed by reports of widespread computer errors in the flight control systems. As they’d driven, news reports over the radio had told of an ever-widening range of issues. Tension was high as officials feared a possible terrorist attack.

They finally arrived in Smallville near sunset and went straight for the Medical Centre. Lois led the way to Martha’s room while Lori walked beside Clark, clutching his hand for moral support. Bruce trailed behind, scanning the crowd for unusual activity. Clark had told them about his encounter with the Brain Interactive Construct, which Bruce had quickly correlated to the worldwide computer failures. If there were more inhabitants of the Black Ship, the Medical Centre would be an obvious place to look for Clark.

Lois argued with a nurse at the reception desk for a minute, then waved Clark forward. “She’s still unconscious, but stable, so you can go in. Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine. She’ll be so happy when she finds out you’re alive.”

Clark straightened his shoulders and moved into the hospital room, stopping dead at the sight of the person lying so still on the bed. She was the woman from his dream, red haired and beautiful, but so pale. With a flood of emotion, he remembered when she’d tried to comfort him about his fear of being different. It was so devastating to see her like this.

Swallowing hard, he moved to the bedside and gently clasped her hand. Leaning forward, he whispered, “Mom, mom. It’s me, Clark. I’m back.”

At first, nothing happened. Then as Clark reached up to stroke her hair, the bedside monitors picked up a sudden increase in her heart rate. Her eyelids started to flicker until suddenly she gave a huge gasp. Her eyes snapped open, dilated with fear that gave way to delight at seeing Clark. She reached up and pulled him down into a tight hug, tears welling up furiously. She strained to speak and finally whispered, “Clark. I’d almost given up hope.”

Clark whispered back, “I’m here. I never would have left you if I had a choice.”

Martha nodded and brushed away at the tears. “I know sweetheart. Lionel let something slip one night. When I confronted him later, he just got so angry. He’s not the man I thought I knew – he’s meddling with forces he can’t even begin to understand. I need to talk to you and Lex – it’s important.”

Clark gave her a disorientated look. He haltingly explained, “I’m not exactly sure how much help I can be. I barely even remember you, much less the Luthor family. Lois filled me in a bit, but it’s all so jumbled up.”

Martha gave him another hug. “I know. That’s why we need to talk to Lex; you’re going to need help.”

At that moment, the medical staff rushed in, alerted by the changes in Martha’s vitals. Needing room to perform tests, they ordered Clark to leave. Clark wanted to protest but Martha told him to go and tell Lois to call Lex to meet them. Reluctantly, Clark obeyed.

It seemed to take forever to Clark, but in reality Lex arrived only ten minutes later. He’d been in touch with them on the drive from Spring Cove, but they’d kept the conversations short for fear of someone listening in. Lex had planned on greeting them on their arrival in Smallville, but a last minute call had set back his timetable. He arrived with a swarm of bodyguards and assistants, but waived them back as he approached the small group outside Martha’s room.

He gave a quick nod to Lois and Bruce but his eyes were all for Clark. The cuts and bruises had long healed, and Clark’s skin was starting to take on its normal golden hue. But Clark was still so thin it made Lex’s eyes sting. He hesitantly reached forward and clasped Clark’s upper arm. He gave a firm squeeze and fought for words.

Clark looked back at him in confusion. He’d read a great deal about Lex’s arrest in the papers and learned some more details from both Lois and Bruce, but meeting him in the flesh stirred up long buried memories. There was nothing concrete, just random moments – a shared smile here, a laugh there. But it was enough for him to recognize Lex for what he was – a friend. He gave a sigh and pulled Lex into a closer hug. He felt like he had come home.

Lex relaxed for a few moments, then pulled back and gave a rare brilliant smile. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you, Clark! We’ve all missed you, even Lois here.”

Lois protested, “Hey, I was only worried for the Kents and Chloe’s sake. Me, I liked not having to share the shower all the time.” She turned to Lori and confided, “Smallville here used to take the longest showers. Said he didn’t like people teasing him for the cow smell.”

Lori laughed, then introduced herself to her half-brother. Beyond a certain familial resemblance, she recognized in him a shared intelligence and passion for knowledge. She was also delighted to see how he and Clark instinctively leaned into each other. It would take a special kind of person to deal with all the strangeness surrounding Clark – she hoped Lex could be that man.  

Her musings were interrupted by the doctor, who told them that they were holding Martha overnight for observation. On protest from the group, she allowed them in for 15 minutes to say good night.

Martha was sitting up in bed, looking remarkably well for someone who’d just spent two weeks in a coma. There was a hubbub of introductions, hugs and well wishes which she cut short as soon as possible. “I’m sorry everybody but I need to talk to Clark and Lex about something private.”

 “The rest of them all know more than I do. Maybe they should stay,” replied Clark hesitantly.

Lois responded, “That’s okay, Smallville. I think the rest of us could use a bit to eat.” She gave Martha a parting hug and left with Lori and Bruce. ”

“The first thing you need to know Mrs. Kent is that Lionel is dead,” Lex explained gently. “He died not long after you were hospitalized. It was an accident, or so I thought. Now I’m wondering if I was set up.”

Martha closed her eyes with a sigh and said tiredly, “Call me Martha, Lex. Tell me what happened.”

Lex looked at Clark and took a deep breath. “I haven’t told anyone the whole story; not because I’m afraid it makes me look guilty but because I’m afraid it makes me look crazy. But given everything that’s happened recently…”

He licked his lips and organized his thoughts again. “Just after you were hospitalized, Mrs.… Martha, this man approached me. His said his name was Milton Fine and that he worked for the DDS. He showed me records of my father’s contacts with an old group called Veritas. Virgil Swann was the leader in a search for intelligent life in the universe. He thought he found it, only to eventually lose the signal.”

Martha gripped Clark’s hand tightly and nodded at Lex to go on. “But the other Veritas members had their own agendas. Fine told me that the group had found evidence that an alien race had visited Earth repeatedly over the last few thousand years. Some were excited about the potential for knowledge. Lionel of course only cared about the prospect of more power.”

Martha nodded at that – Lionel and the quest for power were virtually synonymous.

 “So about two years ago, the remnants of the Veritas group started searching for some artifacts. Nobody trusted anyone else, and it turned into quite a free for all. I found one of them but it was stolen. My father found another, but it went missing only to find its way back into his hands. And Lana somehow wound up with the third. She was threatened and wound up fighting for her life. According to Fine, this acted as a beacon for something he called the Black Ship.” Lex shrugged expressively. “Once the Black Ship arrived, the stone my father was holding started glowing and he seemed to slip into a coma. Then that stone vanished as well. I didn’t know what to think.”

Clark was silent but Martha replied, “We never wanted to hurt you Lex, but Clark was told the safety of the world depended on assembling the stones. He hated having to lie to you.”

Lex nodded reassuringly. “I know that now, but back then all I could see was that someone or something was stopping me from getting what I needed. I confronted Clark about something I saw, and we parted bitterly. Clark went to see you at the hospital, then went to the mansion, then vanished, along with the aliens from the Black Ship.”

Lex paused for a moment, then went on, “I thought, what if Clark was sent here as part of an invasion force? I knew that sometimes at least he was incredibly fast, strong, invulnerable – just like the aliens. And the timing seemed to fit. But then the violence started to escalate all around and I gradually realized how wrong I’d been. I worked with Jonathan and saw his commitment to helping people. I watched Lionel spin his webs of power, poisoning everything he touched. And I remembered who my best friend really was. Clark was always the one who tried to help us when we needed it. I finally realized I’d let dad’s training cloud my judgment.”

Lex could see Martha was tempted to comment, but she bit her lip and nodded at him to go on. “So that’s where things stood when Fine approached me. He was trying to play on my ambitions and my fears of invasion, and he would have succeeded if he’d talked to me sooner.”

Martha apologized again, “Lex, I’m so sorry. Please don’t blame Clark for this. We were always so afraid someone would take him away. We trained him to never stand out. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how much damage we might have done.”

Lex looked at her steadily. “The thing is Martha, it’s clear from what happened that you were right to be worried. If anything, you should have trained Clark to lie _more_ effectively. Better still if he never used his abilities at all. But then he wouldn’t be Clark and I’d be dead several times over. So please don’t apologize.”

Lex gave Clark’s hand a squeeze. “One of these days you’ll get your memory back and I’m sure you’ll go back to feeling guilty about all kinds of things that you had no control over. But just remember, you’re only human, for lack of a better word. You’re allowed to make mistakes, even if you are a super powered alien.”

Clark smiled shyly and carefully squeezed Lex’s hand in return. He asked hesitantly, “So what happened next with Fine and your dad?”

Lex started to pace. “Fine told me that dad had found something called the Control Orb and used the powers to seize control of the gangs that Morgan Edge used to run. He also was enhancing the abilities of metahumans, all to set up a threat that he could then take on with his law and order platform. But Fine said Lionel was just an alien dupe – they wanted him to take out our potentially strongest defenders to make invasion easier. Fine had plenty of evidence but nothing that could be used in court. He said the only way to take Lionel down was to take away the Orb. And I was the only one who could do it. Apparently it was somehow genetically keyed.”

Lex paused at the expression on Martha’s face. She was clearly struggling between a desire to trust him and fear based on their complicated family history. He couldn’t say he blamed her. He glanced over at Clark, who smiled back encouragingly.

“Fine clearly wanted me to take the Orb. I’m guessing he had tried to get Lionel to do something for him and Lionel didn’t cooperate. Say what you will, Lionel was no man’s dupe. I think Fine thought I’d be easier to manipulate. I decided not to play the game. I destroyed the Orb instead. Lionel rushed over and started to attack me, and before I knew it, my bodyguard was strangling Lionel.”

Martha looked at him with concern, while Clark squeezed his hand for support.

Lex smiled sadly. “I swear I don’t know happened with Victor. But now I have my guess. Because Fine never worked for the DDS, to start with. And he looks exactly like Chloe’s doctor at Belle Reve. Exactly like the person caught on tape murdering Dr. Lowe at the Rossville Chemical Plant. And exactly like the Brain Interactive Construct you fought in Spring Cove, Clark.”

Clark’s face tightened as he started to put pieces together. Before he could start questioning Lex though, Martha spoke up. “Thank God that you destroyed that thing, Lex. Fine told you only part of the truth about it. That’s what I needed to talk to you about. They’re going to kick you out any minute now, so I’ll get right to the point. Chloe helped me put together some files on Clark’s past – here’s the password so you can read up. But the important thing is that Lionel was contacted by an artificial intelligence based on Clark’s real father, Jor-El. Lionel was supposed to act as a guardian for Clark, but found a way to turn the situation to his advantage. He convinced Jor-El that Clark wasn’t to be trusted with his powers. Clark could never satisfy Jor-El because he was raised as a human and set his priorities accordingly. So Jor-El drained Clark’s powers and transferred them to Lionel to be used in a more ‘appropriate’ manner.”

Lex and Clark looked at each other with astonishment. Clark blurted out, “You’re saying this alien intelligence is supposed to be my father? And that it helped Lionel lock me up?”

Martha responded by giving him a quick hug. “I think the programming was damaged, sweetheart. Anyways, Chloe told me that when you assembled the stones, you both were sent to the Arctic and the stones changed into a sort of ice palace. Jor-El wanted you to stay there, but Chloe was dying from the cold. You got permission to leave by promising to return soon, but then had to run off to fight the other aliens.”

Lex interjected, “And that’s when he went missing.”

Martha agreed, “Exactly. Chloe talked to us and we thought at first he was back in the Arctic. But when things started getting so bad, we thought something worse must have happened. But I could never find any leads, not until Lionel complained about all the headaches he was having. Then his eyes rolled back and he started scribbling. I recognized some of the symbols and knew it meant Clark was still alive. I took the page to Chloe to investigate, but then she wound up in the hospital. I confronted Lionel and he told me to stay out of his business. He was trying to stop the most deadly threat imaginable, something he called Brainiac. I imagine that’s the same thing as this Brain Interactive Construct you met.”

Clark nodded slowly and looked over at Lex who agreed as well. “Judging from the ongoing computer problems, this Brainiac is still out there. We need to know how to stop it.”

Martha nodded in agreement. “And the only way I can think of to restore Clark’s memories and full potential is by returning to the Arctic. Clark, you need to find the Key and use it at the Caves. Lex, you’re looking for the octagonal disk you found all those years ago. Clark must have hidden it somewhere before Lionel got a hold of him.”

Clark laughed for the first time, “What is this, an alien scavenger hunt? Ships, stones, orbs, ice palaces, keys – what next?”

Martha gave a strained smile, then grasped Lex’s hand. “Lex, I want you to go with Clark to this ice palace and help him confront Jor-El. I don’t trust it after everything that’s happened over the years, but somehow I think you can speak its language. I hope I’m not insulting you by saying that.”

Lex smiled wryly. “I think I understand what you mean, and I’m not insulted. I’ll keep Clark safe, I promise.” He gave her hand a squeeze and stepped back.

Clark gave Martha a last hug as he too prepared to leave. “I’m as confused as I could possibly be, but I know one thing. Something bad is coming – we need to act fast!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting at the Mansion

### Luthor Mansion – later that evening

Lex rubbed the back of his head, trying to dispel his growing tension headache. It was late, even for him. Bruce and Lori had worked with him for hours on Martha’s files, but had finally retired an hour ago. Lex persisted, and was now trying to decipher some of Lionel’s more cryptic documents. He needed all the information he could get to prepare for dealing with Jor-El.

 _Whoosh_!

One moment, Lex was alone in the library, working away on his laptop. The next he was joined by Clark, who was brimming with so much restrained energy that even his hair spiked out like an angry cat. Lex gave a tired smile at the sight and leaned back in his chair.

“I’ve searched everywhere on the farm and those other places you mentioned, Lex. Nothing. It could be anywhere.”

“No, not anywhere. If it were anywhere obvious, Lionel would have found it. And we’ll assume you hid it after losing your powers, which means it has to be somewhere nearby.”

“Why assume that. I mean, it makes it easier for us, but if you’re wrong…”

“It’s a risk. But we checked the 911 call for Lana when she was injured last year, and the voice was yours. If you’d had your powers, I’m pretty sure you would have just run her straight to the medical centre rather than waiting for an ambulance. It took over two hours to show up given the number of injuries that day.”

“Surely I wouldn’t have just left her alone either.”

Lex agreed with excitement, “You’re right! You must have left it here. It’s so obvious it would never occur to Lionel.”

Clark switched on his X-ray vision and scanned the library for the Key. “I can’t see it but something’s blocking my vision in the corner here.”

Lex quickly crossed to his side to open the safe, smiling to himself at the thought of Lionel looking everywhere but here. He opened the door with a flourish, then looked down in horror as Clark collapsed as they were bathed by an eerie green light. Clark’s skin tone changed in an instant from gold to sickly green, and his eyes looked frantically up at Lex for an explanation. Inside the safe, the eyes of the statues he’d assembled two years earlier glowed malevolently. He swallowed his frantic concern and struggled to pull Clark away from danger. He finally managed to close the safe just as the doors to the library opened with a bang. In strode Brainiac. Before even Clark could react, Brainiac reached for Lex’s neck and sent him flying into the library wall. Lex crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Clark’s eyes burned as his fear for Lex turned to anger. He sprang towards Brainiac and pushed with his full force. Brainiac went flying upwards into the library’s balcony. His momentum carried him through several bookshelves and then into the stout wall behind. The entire house shook from the impact.

Brainiac stood, completely unharmed by the attack. He brushed off the debris and then sauntered towards Clark.

“So Kal-El, have you realized yet the folly of trying to live amongst these humans? Do you really think that they will ever trust you? You belong with your own kind. Join with me and release Zod from his unjust imprisonment.”

Clark schooled his features to remain still, instinctively knowing that Brainiac would exploit any weakness.

“A few people have hurt me, yes, but this world is my home.  I see no reason to join with you against them.”

“Kal-El, how can you say that when you do not even remember your own name and heritage? These humans are nothing to you. They are so fragile, so reliant on their technology. Take that away, and they will devolve to the animals they really are. Why should you care to save them?”

Clark stepped forward and looked Fine firmly in the eye. “I’ll never do what you want.”

Brainiac gave a small smile of anticipation and whispered, “Then it begins.” He walked over to Lex’s laptop and touched the screen. Immediately, Kryptonian symbols started to overwrite the text of the report Lex had been reading. Seconds later, the lights in the library started to flicker, then went out. Darkness descended, broken only by the flickering glow from the fireplace.

“Enjoy the show,” Brainiac whispered. He gave a contemptuous smile and then sped away, leaving Clark behind in stunned silence.

Clark rushed towards Lex, and anxiously checked him for injuries. Fortunately his breathing was steady and although he had several cuts from the fall, nothing was broken. Clark anxiously held Lex’s hand and wondered if he should rush him off to the hospital for a more thorough check up. Before he could work himself into a state though, Lex’s eyes started to flicker, then slowly opened.

Lex’s eyes were a little foggy, but such a beautiful soft grey that Clark felt like he could lose himself in them. He gave a relieved sigh, then a brilliant smile. “Welcome back! I should have known it would take more than one measly throw to take you out for good. I’m just glad though that you Luthors have hard heads!”

Lex looked at him fuzzily and asked, “How long have I been out? What happened to the lights?” He wiped away blood from a cut on his face, then winced as he sat up.

“Careful, you were thrown really hard.” Clark reached out and gently rubbed away the blood from another cut.

Lex closed his eyes and stretched gingerly. “I don’t even know what happened, but I’ll guess – Fine again.”

Clark nodded then jumped to his feet with a worried expression. He ran over to Lex’s laptop, which still displayed a rapidly changing stream of symbols. He brought the laptop to Lex and explained, “You need to look at this. I think Brainiac downloaded a virus of sorts, and that’s what caused the blackout.”

Lex frowned at the screen. “Does any of this mean anything to you?” Clark shook his head and Lex exclaimed, “We really need to get your memory back soon!” He tried to stand up, but was struck by a wave of dizziness. Clark reached out to steady him and led him over to the couch.

Lex closed his eyes as he sat down. How could he do all the things he had to do when he was so tired, so sore?

Clark knelt down in front of him and gently stroked from his temple down the column of his neck. At Lex’s tired smile, he raised both hands to Lex’s temples and started to gently message. Lex gave a wordless murmur, and Clark leaned forward to give him a light kiss on the cheek.

It was just the merest touch of lips, perhaps meant as comfort, but Lex’s eyes snapped open. The fuzzy look was gone – his eyes blazed with intensity. Clark leaned back with an evasive expression and Lex touched his cheek. “Clark?”

Clark seemed to shrink slightly with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. You just looked so…” His voice trailed off.

“Weak? Vulnerable? Needing to be coddled?”

Clark looked up, wide-eyed. “No! How could you think that? I think maybe ‘sexy’ is the word I was looking for.”

“Sexy. You find me being all battered and bruised sexy?”

“Kind of, yeah. I mean, ‘cause I know it’s not going to stop you. Brainiac made a mistake trying to play you the first time; a worse mistake attacking you this time. He tipped his hand, and just made an enemy.”

Lex smiled faintly, then closed his eyes again. “Clark, this isn’t you. You may know your real name and part of your life story, but you’re still thinking like Kyle Cook. The real Clark would never use the word sexy to describe a man, at least not without blushing to his virginal ears.”

Clark looked at him gravely and paused before replying. “You could be right, at least a little bit. I’m not him, but I do have Kyle’s memories. He’s known he was gay for a long time, and it wasn’t a big deal to anyone he knew except his stepfather. But Lex, there’s another part to Kyle’s story. He had sex with hundreds of men and after a while being touched just made a certain part of his mind shut down completely. I don’t know if you’ve noticed me around Bruce, but even though I trust him, I don’t want him anywhere near me. Even Lois and Lori… It’s only with you and mom that I feel at all comfortable. That’s gotta mean something.”

He then leaned forward and very carefully kissed Lex on the mouth – closed lipped, the merest tease. He sat back and looked at Lex questioningly.

Lex smirked. “What are you, my maiden aunt? If you want to kiss me, kiss me.”

Clark’s eyes sharpened at the challenge. He tilted his head to the side and leaned forward again. Lex closed the distance and reached for that tantalizing mouth. He kept his kisses light at first, using his lips to measure the texture of Clark’s skin. He moved slowly and deliberately, as if afraid a sudden movement would send Clark skittering away. He then started to suck and nibble gently along Clark’s lower lip. He leaned back several times, eager to see Clark’s expression, anxious to bring him joy. Clark’s eyes would open sleepily whenever Lex pulled away, then flickered shut as Lex leaned back in.

Before too long, Clark started to get more aggressive. He seemed fascinated by the scar on Lex’s upper lip, mouthing and licking it repeatedly. He then raised his hands to cup Lex’s chin and tilted his head for better access. He opened wider and sucked urgently on Lex’s tongue.

As the kiss deepened, Lex savoured the taste of Clark’s mouth. It was nothing he could put a name to, other than fresh and clean. Just like Clark. He raised his hands to tangle in Clark’s hair, regretting for a moment that it was so much shorter than he remembered. But still, the texture was amazing. He murmured, “I’ve always loved your hair.”

Clark whispered back, “And I bet I’ve always loved your skin. Soft.” His hands swept to the back of Lex’s skull and started up a deep massage.

It was an odd sensation for Lex, and at first he tensed slightly. When he’d been young, he’d always felt that other children rejected him because of his baldness. It’d taken years to overcome that self-consciousness, and it still showed up at the strangest times – the back of his head had been taboo territory for a long time. But as Clark’s massage continued, he could feel a lot of that old tension and resentment start to drain away. Almost dizzy from the sensation, he pulled away from Clark’s lips and arced backwards into Clark’s hands to deepen the pressure.

Clark responded by lowering his mouth to Lex’s neck. Lex felt overwhelmed by the assault of those firm lips, teeth and tongue. He turned his attention to Clark’s ear, gentling licking the whorls. He then bit hard on the lobe and smiled at Clark’s faint protest. “How is it you can feel that, when you can walk away from a plane crash without a scratch? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Clark smiled back as he lowered his hands to undo the buttons on Lex’s shirt. “Does it really matter right now?” He paused to admire the sight of Lex’s chest, then began to caress the smooth muscles. He whispered in admiration, “So beautiful.” His hands, strong enough to crush steel, were nonetheless gentle as they worked their way towards Lex’s nipples.

Lex groaned anew at the sensation. “That’s it. A little harder, I won’t break.” When Clark finally gave a firm squeeze, Lex’s whole body arced like it had been hit by electricity. The sensation went straight to his cock, which was starting to feel distinctly neglected. He impatiently reached for Clark’s T-shirt and pulled it hastily off.

But instead of deepening his passion, the sight unexpectedly sobered Lex. Gone was the perfect body he’d spent so many hours surreptitiously admiring in the early years of their friendship. During his ordeal, Clark had lost over 50 pounds, most of it muscle. Lex hesitantly touched the ribs that showed all too prominently through the skin, then frowned as he noticed some scars.

Clark flushed slightly and bit his lip, then reached for his discarded T-shirt. Clutching it in front of him, he stammered, “I’m sorry. I know I don’t look good right now. I shouldn’t have started this, I’ll just go.”

Lex reached out and grabbed tightly at his shoulders. “It’s not that you don’t look good, Clark. It’s just… I guess it never really sunk in how badly you were hurt.” He gently touched the scars just below Clark’s nipples. “You never had the slightest mark on you before. They don’t belong. It’s like someone defacing a Rembrandt.”

Clark gave a small snort, then reached up to touch the scar on Lex’s lip. “I’m a person, not a painting. We’re not meant to be perfect. Sometimes, it’s our flaws that make us beautiful.”

“Thank you for that wonderful dose of Kent philosophy. Are you sure your memory isn’t coming back?”

Clark silently shook his head and then leaned in for another kiss, one that was less about sex and more about a deep need for connection.

Despite the questions every moment with Clark provoked, Lex tried to respond to Clark’s clear need. Clark’s lips felt demanding and almost desperate on his own, as if Clark were seeking assurance that he was no longer alone. Lex felt another surge of questions arise at that thought. Could this possibly last? Was it even real? And if it was, could he and Clark find a way to live together? Or would they simply fall back into their old patterns once Clark’s memories were restored?

He finally pulled back and said what lay unspoken between them. “If Fine wasn’t out there hunting right now, if the world wasn’t on the edge of collapse…”

Clark interjected, “I know.” He paused for a moment before admitting, “I’m a little scared, you know. I know that we only want to restore my real memories, but the memories I’ve got...” His voice trailed off.

Lex grimaced. “I know. We call you Clark and your memory says you’re Kyle, but you’re both and neither right now. I’m not sure if this ice palace can restore your memory at all, much less how much you’ll remember of the last year. I just hope…” He stopped short at the thought.

“I will remember this, Lex. I promise” Clark said this firmly; he had absolutely no doubt that his heart would remember even if his mind could not.

Lex gave a sad smile. “Don’t make promises that the fates may be tempted to see you break. We have our differences, Clark. Even now, you see the world in black and white, while I’ve been trained to see a thousand shades of grey. If we find a way to stay together, we’re going to have to change.”

“And you’re afraid that you can’t, and afraid that I won’t. Right?” At Lex’s nod, Clark continued, “Look, we’re getting ahead of the game here. We haven’t even found the Key yet, or talked to this Jor-El, much less taken care of Brainiac. You’re right – I shouldn’t promise something I have no control over. And you have to learn to shut your brain off every once in a while and just live in the moment. Okay?” Clark gave Lex a firm squeeze.

“Okay. This is me, living in the moment.” He gave Clark one last kiss, then settled back in the coach with a yawn. “It’s three in the morning and I need to get to sleep if we’re going to save the world tomorrow. You?”

“I’m not exactly tired but I wouldn’t mind closing my eyes. But first, don’t you think we should check out your safe?” At Lex’s puzzled look, he prompted, “For the Key. We thought it might be there.”

“When did we… Let me guess – Brainiac again.”

“Yeah, I guess you forgot. Maybe your head isn’t as hard as I thought it was.”

“Considering how many times I’ve been hit on the head, it amazes me sometimes that I can remember my name. Help me up. My body is shutting down for the evening.”

“I could always just rip the door off…”

The look Lex gave him would have reduced a lesser man to panic. Clark merely smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the Arctic 

###    
Kawatche Caves – next morning

Lex finished pulling on his gloves and asked Clark, “Are you ready?”

At Clark’s solemn nod, Lex continued, “Great. I’m going through first, alone if that’s possible. I don’t want you to show up before I’ve had a chance to talk with it. Give me ten minutes.”

“Lex…”

“We already talked about this. The thing is defective. From what I could put together from the files last night, its goals are mutually contradictory. It withholds information from you then punishes you for not being psychic. I’m not letting it drain your powers right when we need them the most.”

Clark nodded emphatically at that. They hadn’t realized until Bruce woke them up at six how widespread the blackout started by Brainiac was. It had spread in about an hour to Metropolis and continued even now to slowly swell outward. States on both coasts were currently bracing for the impact.

Fortunately, authorities had already been on high alert because of the financial crisis and had succeeded for the most part in maintaining order. Communications between cities were severely hampered, but a few radio stations had power to provide emergency broadcasting. There’d been no widespread panic or looting, and many people in smaller communities were treating it as a holiday of sorts. Emergency services were currently running on their back-up generators, and most were prepared to do so for at least a week. The main concern was the food supply, which could start to be problematic if the power didn’t come back online in a few days.

Unfortunately, it didn’t look like the power _could_ be restored anytime soon. Lori was just one of many security experts studying the virus, hoping to find how it was able to shut down the grid and program a work around. Without this, every attempt to bring a power station back on line was greeted by an immediate crash.

On hearing the news, Clark had immediately run to Metropolis to help the police with the metahumans who had broken out of their holding cells. There’d been surprisingly few thanks to advance planning for just this eventuality, but the ones who had broken out tended to be the ones who were immune to conventional weapons. The radio broadcasts from Metropolis had bordered on despair about the swath of destruction being cut through the downtown core. Eyewitnesses had described three culprits, one of whom caused torrential rains and flooding, another who seemed to delight in starting fires and the last of whom was described as a walking toxic cloud.

Ten minutes after Clark had left Smallville though, the reports had abruptly changed to breathless descriptions of a mysterious saviour, rescuing people from the floods and fires and spreading clouds of deadly gas. A couple of hours later had come the news that the culprits were back in custody, deposited unconscious at the doors to the police station. Judging by the calls on the radio, all of Metropolis was buzzing about their new hero.

Lex had been torn between pride at Clark’s accomplishment and fear that his life would be ruined if his identity were discovered. Clark had eventually returned, clothing torn and covered in soot but none the worse for wear. He’d smiled briefly at Lex’s praise, changed his clothes and moved onto the next task. Clark had always been strong in a crisis. It was everyday life where he tended to have problems.

Now as Lex prepared to activate the portal, Clark looked him over one last time and struggled unsuccessfully to repress a grin. On this balmy spring day, Lex looked faintly ridiculous in his warmest winter coat and gloves, not to mention the wool socks, hat and scarf that Clark had contributed from Jonathan’s old supply. Lex didn’t normally have to worry about dressing warmly and hated hats in particular, but the precaution seemed wise. At the thought, Clark’s grin faded and he touched the scar on Lex’s lip. “Be safe,” he commanded. He then stepped back outside the chamber.

Lex flexed his fingers, took a deep breath and picked up the Key. He half-remembered watching Clark do this a year ago and could only hope it would work for him as well. As he moved the Key over the stone dais, he felt it respond as if pulled magnetically. Responding by instinct, he loosened his grip on the Key and watched it descend with a snap into an indentation. A white light shot up from the dais and engulfed him. Lex felt untold energy surging around him and then....

Time stopped. He was nowhere, and nothing. There was only light. And then…

A different type of light surrounded him – the light of the Arctic sun reflected off a thousand pillars of ice. He then looked closer and realized ice was the wrong word. The material was definitely crystalline, but of a type he’d never seen. He took off a glove and tentatively tapped at the closest pillar – it was smooth and faintly warm compared to the surrounding air. Lex shivered in the chill and hastily pulled the glove back on. He then looked up at the vaulted ceilings and marveled at the amount of open space. Everything about the architecture proclaimed to him its alien nature.

He called out for Jor-El a few times, but was greeted only by his own echo. He started walking, hoping to find a sign of some sort. In truth, he had no idea what he was looking for, but expected Jor-El would speak up when he got close. He passed through several doorways and soon reached a series of steps. He descended slowly into what he instantly knew was the control centre.

Suddenly the room filled with a beam of energy, halting Lex in his tracks. His ears filled with sound, a sound that seemed to be coming from inside himself. Pain filled his senses, then stopped so abruptly he almost fell.

A cultured but forbidding voice spoke, “I am Jor-El, father of Kal-El. You are Luthor, bloodline of the last Guardian. Do you speak for him?”

“I speak for Clark Kent.”

“Clark Kent is naught but a stage on Kal-El’s journey to his true destiny. His Guardian’s duty is to guide him along that path.”

“Helping Clark is something I very much want to do. I’m curious though – how would you judge my father’s performance last year?”

“The Luthor was… most satisfactory. He acted in the interests of Kal-El. He dealt appropriately with those who posed a threat to order. He understood the nature of necessity.”

“I see. And how exactly did he act on Clark’s behalf?”

“Kal-El broke a vow to me and needed to be punished. Time and again he let his actions be dictated by the needs of those around him rather than the general good. The Luthor took steps to guide his re-education.”

Lex restrained a spike of anger. “What is the general good?”

“Safety. Order. Productivity. Knowledge.”

“What about happiness? Liberty?”

“Those values cannot be quantified. They have no utility.”

“And I assume that goes for religion as well.”

“Correct. That which cannot be proved has no utility.”

“I see. The vow that Clark broke – tell me about it.”

“The education provided for Kal-El has been most inadequate. I tested his knowledge and discovered many unacceptable gaps. Lacking the appropriate mental and physical discipline, he cannot achieve his destiny. I designed the needful training, but he left before I could begin.”

“And leaving to save someone’s life is contrary to the greater good?”

“It is needful at times to make sacrifices. That is the first lesson Kal-El must learn.”

Lex started to pace. “Were you aware that the Disciples of Zod arrived during the second meteor shower? They killed 143 people within an hour of their arrival. If Clark had not left here when he did, the death toll would have only continued to climb. Given these facts, did not his departure serve the greater good?”

For once the voice was slow to respond. “His departure may have served the general good but nonetheless he broke his vow.”

“And so you administered your punishment without giving him a chance to explain. Is that Kryptonian justice?”

The voice did not respond so Lex switched tacks. “You are the remnants of Kal-El’s father. Tell me, how did Jor-El approach the question of justice? For example, tell me about when General Zod was arrested.”

“Jor-El successfully prosecuted Zod for his treasonous acts leading to the deaths of millions. Zod was sentenced to the Phantom Zone.”

“Why the Phantom Zone? Why not death?”

“The death penalty was abolished on Krypton many generations ago. The Council considered making an exception, but Jor-El advocated against it and carried the majority. Given the number of Disciples still at liberty, the Phantom Zone was judged to be the only place secure enough to hold Zod.”

Lex’s eyes glittered as his logic trap closed. “If I understand you correctly, Jor-El did not support killing, even as the penalty for a man responsible for the death of millions. How is it then that you punished Clark for saving the lives of the innocent without first seeking an explanation? How is it you actively helped my father achieve ever greater power; power which he used to _cause_ thousands of deaths? How can you say you are Jor-El when your actions do not reflect his most cherished principals?”

The voice was silent. Lex wondered if it was searching human databases to verify his assertions. He hoped it did – the extreme spike in the death toll since Lionel’s ascent to power was irrefutable.

Lex continued. “Explain this to me. When Jor-El sent Clark to Earth, was it an accident that the Kents were the ones who found him?”

“No. Jor-El chose the family who would raise Kal-El based on his own visit to Earth as a young man. He admired the father of Jonathan Kent.”

“So, Jor-El sent Clark to be raised by people who would instill in him certain values, including most of all a love of family, friends and community. Isn’t it possible that Jor-El understood that humanity could not and should not be molded by Kryptonian values, but rather the opposite? I would suggest it is not Clark who needs to change his ways. It is you.”

After another silence, Lex resumed, “Safety and security are noble goals, but not at the expense of everything else. Millions of people would be willing to die in defense of their traditional freedoms. Any attempt by an alien to rule us would ultimately lead to disaster. The cure would be worse than the disease.”

“Kal-El has a destiny – I have seen it. He will act for your people as a beacon, and guide you through this destructive phase with a firm but steady hand.”

“How can you possibly believe in destiny? ‘That which cannot be proved has no value.’” He felt a savage satisfaction quoted the voice’s words back to it.

The silence stretched until broken by a soft sound from the entrance to the chamber. It was Clark, looking overwhelmed but resolute. He handed Lex the Key and spoke with a hint of a question, “I waited just like you asked.”

“It’s okay, Clark. I think I’ve made my point here, haven’t I?”

The voice spoke, “You have demonstrated your suitability for your role most adequately. I acknowledge you as Guardian. The device you now hold will allow us to communicate over vast distances and can also provide you with some measure of protection from your enemies. What is your will?”

“My will is to restore Clark’s memory, nothing more. I don’t want power over him beyond that of a friend and trusted advisor. As for you, your punishments must stop. You are not Jor-El and must stop thinking you know what’s best. Clark will undergo his training as time permits, but must have the freedom to leave when circumstances dictate.”

“Your restrictions are noted, Guardian. I am the Fortress of Solitude. I exist to provide advice and training when Kal-El requires.”

Lex grinned triumphantly, then turned to Clark. “Are you ready?”

Clark nodded firmly and Lex gave his shoulder a last squeeze. “Remember!”

Clark gave him a luminous smile and stepped forward. The chamber filled with a roar of energy. Clark was engulfed in a beam of light and started to float upwards from the floor. He spread his arms wide and threw his head back in a soundless scream. His eyes snapped open and shifted from green to blue as the energy coursed through his body. He started to convulse, then collapsed to the floor as the beam shut off.

Lex hurried to his side and saw that Clark was unconscious but breathing normally. He tentatively stroked his cheek and asked, “Fortress, is this normal?”

“I have recharged Kal-El with as much power as his body can handle, but he was in a gravely weakened state. Perhaps my analysis of the Luthor’s performance as Guardian should be revised.”

Lex restrained the urge to rail at the voice, knowing his sarcasm would be wasted on a machine. He focused on the immediate problem. “And his memory?”

“That is a more intricate problem. The Kryptonian mind does not function in the same manner as a human’s. I have restored Kal-El’s dormant memories. Whether he also remembers his experiences of the past year I cannot say.”

Lex took off his gloves and stroked Clark’s hair. It was nice for once in their relationship to be the strong one, able to protect and offer comfort. He gave himself time to enjoy the sensation before duty pressed in again.

“Fortress, I need your advice. The Brain Interactive Constuct arrived on Earth with the Black Ship. It is attacking the Earth’s computer systems, causing wide spread damage. How can we stop it?”

“This is grave news, Guardian.” Lex was surprised to hear something approaching concern in the voice. It resumed, “The Brain Interactive Construct can make multiple copies of itself but requires power to do so. Unlike Kal-El, it cannot recharge directly from the sun. The strongest power source lies within the Black Ship. If you destroy the copies of the Construct, the Ship will be weakened. Kal-El can then destroy it.”

“And that will stop Brainiac?”

“For now. A device such as the Brain Interactive Construct is difficult to stop permanently. There may be other copies of it, searching in space. Be vigilant.”

Lex rolled his eyes at the unnecessary advice and added, “One last thing. Apparently, its mission is to release Zod from the Phantom Zone. No matter what happens, just – don’t let that happen.”

His attention then returned to Clark, starting to stir on the floor. Clark’s eyes slowly opened, returned to their normal green. He looked about in confusion, then focused in on Lex’s face. He smiled hesitantly at first, then ever broader. He reached up to gently stoke the scar on Lex’s lip. Lex rubbed his thumb across Clark’s mouth in response.

The smile became blinding and Clark pulled Lex into a joyful hug.

“Lex, I remember!”

Lex leaned into the hug with a heartfelt sigh and closed his eyes to control his emotions. Happiness didn’t come easily to him, but this time he felt he’d earned it. He breathed deeply to enjoy the smell of Clark, somehow more fresh and vibrant than ever. Long minutes passed before he finally pulled back to smile at his friend.

“Brainiac isn’t going to know what hit him.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle and its aftermath.

**Thanks[](http://ctbn60.livejournal.com/profile)[ **ctbn60**](http://ctbn60.livejournal.com/)  **for the gorgeous banner!

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Metropolis– next day just before sunrise

“Ready?”

Clark responded from his perch atop the Daily Planet, “Ready.”

From the main power station, Lori confirmed, “I’m set.”

At Belle Reve, Lois quipped, “Raring to go.”

And from the LuthorCorp computer room, Bruce commanded gruffly, “Let’s get this over with.”

“Right. Lois, you’re up first. Everyone’s going to be pretty much on their own for their part of the plan. Clark, it’s up to you to coordinate and troubleshoot. Any questions? Okay, good luck everyone.”

Lois hung up and drew a deep breath. She was nervous at confronting Fine again knowing what he really was, but also felt a thrill at the prospect of bringing down the being that had kept her away from her cousin for far too long. Her role was in some ways the simplest but nonetheless critical. She hopped over the perimeter fence and headed towards the staff entrance to Belle Reve.

As they’d expected from their reconnaissance, most of the electronic security was down to conserve the power available from the backup generator. The old-fashioned locks proved easy to pick and Lois quickly slipped into the facility. She was dressed as one of the staff and passed unnoticed to the main security checkpoint. This however was guarded – time to bluff.

“Dr Fine told me to bring Chloe Sullivan to his office.”

“Orders?” The guard sighed at her look of incomprehension. “These doctors can never remember the emergency protocol. With the phones down, we need written orders to move patients.”

“The phones are down?” Lois gave her most vapid look. “How’d that happen?”

The guard looked at her incredulously. “The blackout means we’re running on emergency power for god knows how long. The powers that be decided we could all live without phones.”

“Huh. So how are you communicating with everyone else?”

The guard pointed to a walkie-talkie, turned off to conserve power. Lois smiled and then suddenly swung around and hit him in the head with her surprisingly heavy bag. The guard crumpled to the floor.

Lois stared at the security panel and murmured, “Here goes nothing.” The high security zone she left alone – the last thing she wanted was to set the strongest of the freaks free. Some of them were no doubt like Chloe, rounded up mainly for getting in Lionel’s way, but it would take time to sort it all out. For now, her goal was a simple one. One by one she dropped the locks separating her from Chloe. From down the hall, she could hear a steadily increasing murmur as prisoners reacted to their newfound freedom. The noise level rose as the guards started to respond with force. A few screams punctuated the growing chaos.

Lois looked down again at the security panel and started to shut down the next line of security. But she suddenly found her hand crushed in an implacable grip. Remorseless brown eyes stared down at her. “Miss Lane, exactly what are you doing here?”

Lois looked up at him with a defiant head toss. “I’m setting my cousin free. I tried to help that bastard Lex Luthor for her sake and he doesn’t give a damn. All he can think of is hunting down alien artifacts. Right now, he’s preparing an expedition to the Arctic for god’s sake! I think he’s lost it, and if he’s not on my side, Chloe may never get out of here. Not by the front door at least.”

Brainiac examined her carefully. “I admire your persistence if nothing else. Perhaps you will survive the days to come.” With that, Brainiac threw Lois down the hall, into the middle of the growing riot. He zoomed away.

“Lex, he’s coming,” Clark reported in from the Daily Planet. By his standards, Brainiac was moving slowly – only a few hundred miles per hour. “He’ll be there in seconds. Be careful.”

“Right,” Lex replied and hung up. He picked up the Key and held it up to the first rays of the rising sun just as Brainiac burst into his office. The disk started to hum, and Brainiac paused.

“So, I see you have done your research, Mr. Luthor. I am surprised you would use the Key when you destroyed the Orb. Whose side are you on?”

“My own. And humanity’s of course. Do you think I’d trust a piece of alien technology to give me powers that could be taken away at any time? Better to destroy it all I say.”

“And what of Kal-El?”

“I’ll keep him around for emergencies – knowing his weakness makes him easy enough to control.”

Just then the lights flickered on in Lex’s office. Out the windows, the panoramic view of Metropolis gradually illuminated – the blackout was over. Even from this high above ground level, the welcoming cries of the population could be heard.

Lex smirked. “Bet you didn’t think humanity could solve your virus so quickly, hmmm?”

Brainiac sneered in response. “Do you really think you can save yourself for long? You cannot even begin to imagine the extent of my power.” He reached out for Lex’s laptop.

From his perch, Clark called out, “Lori, now!”

All over town, the lights abruptly shut off. They came back on in LuthorCorp tower alone with such power that most of the light bulbs exploded in spite of the carefully redesigned wiring. The surge flowed through Brainiac, still interfaced via Lex’s laptop with the LuthorCorp network.

Down in the computer room, Bruce surveyed the network of bombs one last time and flipped a switch. Ten seconds, nine… He slammed the door behind him and raced full tilt down the corridor. Clark could always save him if things got too close, but ideally needed to keep his attention on Brainiac and the search for the Black Ship.

… Three, two, one! LuthorCorp tower shook with the explosion from the computer room. In Lex’s office, Brainiac turned to Lex with a stunned expression under the dual attack. “Most… unexpected…” His features melted to a black metallic substance before solidifying again. “You cannot… stop me.” He pressed a signal device and flickered out of existence.

From his vantage point, Clark spotted the Black Ship as its screen dropped momentarily. Time seemed to almost stop as he narrowed his focus on it. He gathered energy from the Earth, and sprung into the sky on an unerring trajectory. He hit the side of the Ship with untold energy, knocking it several miles to the west. He fell to earth with a thump, then launched himself once again at the Ship. Over and over, he repeated the attack, moving too quickly for it to respond.

Despite the fury of his blows, Clark had not yet made a serious dent in the Ship. But then again, that wasn’t his immediate goal. With each contact, the ship was buffeted further and further away from Metropolis. Now it was safe for the battle to begin in earnest.

One last jump took Clark to the top of the Ship. He balanced precariously, unable to get a firm handhold on the smooth surface. The Ship responded to his presence by yawing repeatedly, then accelerating up into the atmosphere. Clark fought to control his vertigo and then focused the full intensity of his heat vision on one tiny spot. Not even the otherwise impenetrable material could resist this, his most powerful weapon. The metal started to bubble, then began to melt under the immense heat.

Gathering one last surge of energy from the sun, Clark punched downwards, once, twice, three times, finally shattering the ship’s power core. The Ship gave a sudden lurch, then plummeted down. To Clark, the fall seemed to last for hours, though in truth it took only seconds at the speed they were traveling. The Ship struck the ground with resounding force, cratering the surrounding terrain. Buildings from hundreds of miles away shook in response.

Silence slowly descended, broken only by the increasingly frantic voices over Clark’s headphone. There was no response. He lay motionless in the shadow of the now dead Ship.

***

###  Luthor Mansion – next day

Lois was surprised when security directed her away from the study – she’d started to think it was the only room Lex ever used in the entire mansion. Instead, the guard escorted them outdoors and through a rose garden, a beautiful sight even though not yet in bloom.

Lex was stretched out on the ground, under an umbrella to protect him from the sun. He was dressed somewhat casually by his standards in a lilac shirt and cotton slacks. He was nonetheless working diligently on his laptop, and seemed vaguely annoyed at the interruption until he saw who accompanied her.

“Chloe! How did you get free so quickly?” He rose quickly to his feet. “Lois didn’t actually break you out, did she?”

Chloe laughed and gave him a quick hug. “No. Seems I’ve got friends in high places.” She gestured towards Martha. “Did you hear the news?”

At Lex’s blank look, Martha smiled mischievously. “Yesterday, I got a call from the governor. Seems like Senator Ames is being impeached for some of his activities with Lionel. And guess who the governor picked to replace him?”

Lex gave a shout of laughter. “You! What a brilliant choice – Lionel’s cabal probably think you’re one of them, while Jonathan’s old supporters hope you’ll carry on his agenda.”

Martha nodded soberly. “I’m not sure I’m the best choice given some of the decisions I’ve made lately, but I know I’m better than most of the alternatives. So I said yes, provided we immediately set up a committee to review the arrests over the last year. We’ve got to get the Metahuman Act repealed too.”

Lex reached out for her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “And hopefully find someway to protect Clark. That’s a lot to aim for, but just know I’ll help in any way I can.”

Martha smiled at him fondly, then turned to the figure lying in the sun just a few feet away from Lex. Clark was still largely motionless, but his chest rose and fell with reassuring regularity. The cuts and bruises from the crash the day before were already fading in the early afternoon sun. Martha knelt down and pulled Clark’s head into her lap, then started to stroke the spiky hair.

Lex reassured her, “He hasn’t woken yet, but he’s recovering quickly. I thought it would be better to let him heal at his own pace this time. Unless another emergency comes up, I’d just as soon avoid the Fortress for now. I think Clark would appreciate a little mothering after everything that’s happened.”

Lois quipped, “Smallville definitely enjoys his coddling!”

Chloe protested, “Lois, how can you say that after all he’s done for us?”

“Just saying, I haven’t met a man yet who didn’t appreciate a little TLC. Smallville tries to act all independent and manly, but deep down he’s just a pile of goo.”

Chloe gave her an expressive look, but knew there was no point in arguing. Instead she turned to Lex. “On the drive over, I talked to Perry White at the Planet. He’s eager to get more details on what happened. I didn’t know though what was safe to reveal.”

“Short of Clark’s identity, all of it. I’m sure most people won’t believe it, and only part of it will get printed, but we can at least start laying the groundwork for the future. There’s someone out there, someone who’ll try to help when things get really bad. But he’s no god, just a friend in need.”

They looked over at Clark, from whose mouth seeped the slightest hint of drool. He looked so young, so vulnerable in the sunshine – it was hard to imagine in him the latent power to shatter worlds. He started to lightly snore.

Chloe laughed, “That’s a good angle, Lex. I know the last thing Clark would want is for people to treat him like some kind of all-powerful being. He’s just a man after all, despite all the super powers.”

Lois laughed suddenly. “Superman! That’s what we’ll call him. Emphasis on the ‘man’.”

Lex shot her a skeptical look. “Aren’t you afraid of associating Clark with some rather inappropriate Nietzschean philospophy?”

Lois gave him an impatient look. “Nobody reads Nietzsche any more, Lex. It’s perfect! Come on, Chloe. Let’s pitch it to Perry and see what he thinks.”

Chloe gave Lex a wordless apology with her eyes, then let herself be dragged off by Lois. Seems the journalism bug had bitten her cousin, and truth be told she was anxious to get back to business herself. This was the story of the century after all!

Lex and Martha watched them leave with a shared smile. Somewhat reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the hundreds of urgent emails in his inbox. He worked steadily through them until one stopped him dead in his tracks. He asked Martha to excuse him, then hurried into the mansion to find Lori.

She was at the pool table, carefully lining up a shot. She greeted him with a smile, then executed the shot. Lex watched in amusement as the cue ball curved around the solid blocking its path and connected gently with a stripe, sinking it. “Remind me not to play pool with you.”

“Hmmm. I used to play for hours with some fellow geeks – physics in motion. I can’t wait to see their reaction to Clark – he’s a walking violation of the laws of the universe as we know them. Fun days for science!”

Lex smiled. “If Lois has her way, they’ll be reacting to ‘Superman’, and Clark’s identity will stay safely hidden.”

“That’s good, but is ‘Superman’ the best name choice? I mean, won’t people associate it with Nietzsche? ‘Man is something to be overcome’ and all that?”

Lex picked up a pool cue and made a shot of his own – not as spectacular as Lori’s, but it did the job. “Lois assures me that no one reads Nietzsche any more so the question is moot. Anyways, I’ve got some news for you. I just heard from dad’s lawyers about his estate. There were a few very odd conditions that prevented them from talking to me earlier. Apparently, I was made the primary heir provided I was not under arrest two weeks after his death. He also left a substantial bequest to be split equally between any surviving illegitimate children, who would inherit everything in the event of my being disqualified.”

Lori gave him a somewhat incredulous look. “Just how many illegitimate children did Lionel have?”

“Just two, you and a somewhat psychotic half-brother called Lucas. He stood to inherit everything with you and me out of the way.”

Lori blinked, “So you suspect … What does he look like?” Lex drew a quick sketch and Lori exclaimed, “He’s that creep who was stalking me in Coast City! I always wondered why he seemed so interested in everything I did. The little shit!”

Lex nodded sadly. “I don’t think we can prove anything though, not unless that assassin speaks up. Hopefully Lucas will calm down now that his plans didn’t come off, especially when he gets his share of the estate. Unless you want to talk to the police – he did try to kill you after all.”

Lori examined the drawing again and looked back at Lex questioningly. “You’ll keep an eye on him, won’t you? Keep him in line? I can’t help but think someone who’d kill his only family is a dangerous man.”

Lex stroked the back of his head. “All of us Luthors are dangerous people. Even you; you cracked the Brainiac virus and figured out how to generate the energy spike that took him out. Imagine what damage you could cause if you turned your mind to it.”

Lori smiled faintly, “I had more than a little help, as well you know. But I see your point. We’re all potentially mad, bad and dangerous to know. Too smart for our own good.”

Lex gave her a reassuring hug, then left her to check back in on Clark. He was still asleep in Martha’s lap but was starting to stir restlessly. Lex sprawled beside them and enjoyed a few minutes of sun before moving back under the umbrella – the curse of his fair skin was the tendency to burn if he wasn’t careful. Rather than returning to work though, he and Martha strategized about her plans for the Senate.

An hour passed before Martha called a break. She had to check the messages back at the Farm, but promised to bring him back dinner in an hour or so.

No sooner was she out of sight then Clark’s eyes blinked open. “Finally,” he cried as he sat up. “I love my mom, but I thought she’d never leave.” He scuttled over to Lex and leaned down for a quick kiss.

Lex raised his eyebrows in bemusement. “How long have you been playing possum? And why?”

Clark blushed slightly. “I didn’t want my _mom_ around when I saw you again!” He gestured vaguely towards his crotch, where his pants had started to bulge in a most interesting fashion.

Lex almost purred at the sight. “Hmm, I see your point. We should do something about that.”

Clark laughed. “The flesh is most interested but still a little weak I’m afraid. But soon!”

“Soon,” Lex agreed with a glimmer in his eyes.

“So mom is going to be a Senator; that’ll make quite the change. What on Earth am I gonna do with the farm?”

Lex laughed. “Somehow I think that’s the least of your worries. We’ve got to bring Clark Kent back to life in a way that doesn’t tip off to all the world that you’re Superman.”

“Superman? What kind of name is that?”

At Clark’s bewildered look, Lex started to laugh. “It’s Lois’s idea, and not a bad one as it turns out. Just think: the symbol of the House of El will work perfectly with your costume. Everyone will think the S is for Superman.”

Clark’s eyes were huge and Lex continued remorselessly. “And you’ll dress in those reds and blues you love so much. You’ll stand out like a neon sign. I can just see it now.”

Clark’s eyes widened even further in horror and Lex relented a bit. “I know it sounds… garish, but that’s kind of the idea. We don’t want people to fear you, and dressing to stand out says you’ve got nothing to hide.”

“So no mask? I kind of like that at least.” Clark’s voice was filled with bemusement. “But won’t people realize…” He pointed at his face.

“We can probably do something about that. I don’t understand Kryptonian physiology, but your eye colour seems to be somewhat changeable. Maybe you can take some acting classes to change around your facial features and body language. But your main line of defense will be hiding in plain sight.”

“At your side, you mean? In the full glare of the press?”

“Hmm. We’ll dress you in the fanciest clothes, straight out of GQ. No one would dream of connecting you with the unfashionable flying man.”

Clark smiled down at him quizzically. “So I’ll be a kept man?”

Lex looked up with smoldering intensity. “You’ll be everything and anything you want to be. I’ll help you when you need it and stand back when you don’t. We’ll change the world, Clark. Not quickly, and not by force, but by showing people what is possible if they dare to dream. What do you think?”

Clark’s smile grew positively blinding. “Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, together. I like the sound of that!”

**Author's Note:**

>  
> 
> ### Author’s Note
> 
> This story goes AU from Arrival though that isn’t immediately obvious since the action starts nearly a year later. What happened in the intervening period is hopefully clear from the story but here’s a summary just in case.
> 
> In this AU, Lionel takes away Clark’s powers at the end of Arrival after Clark takes care of the Disciples. Lionel can do this because his connection with Jor-El gave him vital clues about how to assemble and use the Veritas device, which functions differently than in S7’s Arctic. My version of the device can be used to drain Clark’s powers into its holder, although a significant amount of the power is lost in translation. Jor-El thinks Lionel is under control as his Oracle, but Lionel has years of practice at misdirection. He convinces Jor-El that he is working to bring peace to the world just like Jor-El thinks Clark should, by ruling with strength.
> 
> Meanwhile, Lionel keeps Clark “safe” in a Level 3 facility. Lionel uses the Summerholt memory machine to implant false memories into Clark, who now thinks he is Kyle. The scientists at the facility mistreat ‘Kyle’ trying to figure out what Lionel is interested in – they can’t find anything beyond his rapid weight loss and some psychological oddities, but it’s not for lack of trying.
> 
> At the same time, Lex and Lionel are involved in colossal power struggle that Lionel is winning. Meteor freaks are on the rampage and Lionel occasionally keeps them in line with EXTREME violence. He also uses his political clout to get a Metahuman Act enacted and martial law is declared. Jonathan steps forward and runs for office on a civil rights campaign: he receives widespread support (including quiet funding from Lex) but is killed in the crossfire. Chloe is institutionalized when she becomes Lionel’s target for being entirely too willing to speak the truth; he arranges a ‘possession’ somewhat similar to Tomb, except that in this AU Gretchen was a Level 3 experiment.
> 
> Lex is approached by “Fine” who tells him of the Veritas device. Fine thinks Lex will use it against Lionel, and that he’ll then be able to manipulate Lex into releasing Zod. Lex decides instead to destroy the device, and goes to Lionel’s penthouse to do so. They struggle, the device is smashed and Lex’s cyborg bodyguard winds up killing Lionel by “accident”. What really happened is Brainiac tampered with the bodyguard’s programming.
> 
> When Lionel dies, his scientists panic at the thought of Lex finding out about their research and try to dump the evidence. Clark just barely survives with a little help, and runs away, believing he is a street hustler with a long history of back alley assignations. He winds up in Spring Cove, where he meets Lorelei Lee – which is where the story begins.
> 
> As for Bruce Wayne, think Batman Begins just after he returns from Asia and while he's working on creating the Bat Suit. He and Lex met at Princeton, and while not exactly friends, had a mutual loathing for all things Lionel.


End file.
